Description
Girls in Granada, Nicaragua face tremendous challenges: 28% are pregnant by age 18, 52% do not complete primary school, many are expected to raise younger siblings. The chance to become engaged and educated members of society is slim; there are obstacles at every turn. While sport and sports teams have been proven to address these challenges, particularly with girls, 90% of girls in Nicaragua report barriers to participation, and just 13% report playing sports, formally or informally.
Our program gives girls in Granada the social, educational and economic support they need to overcome obstacles to success and achieve their personal goals The team atmosphere and shared identity provides girls with a network of caring peers and mentors that inspires each girl to stay enrolled in school, avoid risky behaviors and make healthy choices. By participating girls earn points that can be exchanged for school supplies, clothes, shoes, toiletries, and soccer equipment. Empowering these girls through soccer, the development of key skills, and connecting them to tangible education and career opportunities can help break the cycle and reset the precedent for what is expected of girls in Nicaragua, and what they expect of themselves.
