Sure Start 
- Award Entered:
Best New Project - Parent Organisation:
MIFUMI - Project Host Nation:
Uganda - Overview of Project:
This project reaches girls (11-17years) turning them into gender and sports champions in their communities. Training takes place within school grounds where girls can receive moral support and encouragement by developing their skills in avoiding situations of domestic violence, child abuse and actively participating in important community events to raise awareness and increase exposure. Many girls still lack choices and options mainly because of deep-rooted inequalities that are often gender based. For most, domestic violence and early marriage leads them to drop out of school while several others suffer in silence due to lack of knowledge and awareness of their rights to protection from violence and abuse and lack opportunities for recreation and life skills development (UNICEF, 2000). By letting girls take part in male dominated sports, while convincing local leaders, duty bearers and parents that sports is a positive thing for girls, negative perceptions in and out of school about women and girls are changed to increase their freedom. Through participation in martial arts and gender training, girls are inspired, acquire self esteem, and develop confidence and determination necessary to stay in school, resist unwanted pressures that lead to forced/early marriage, HIV infection, and girls dropping out of school.
Key Dates
- January 18, 2010 Beyond Sport Awards 2010, Open for Entries.
- April 16, 2010 Beyond Sport Awards 2010, Close for Entries.
- June 1, 2010 Beyond Sport Awards 2010, Shortlisted Projects Revealed.
- September 29-30, 2010 Beyond Sport Summit 2010, Awards' Winners Unveiled.
Comments
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Julius from Kampala: 06 Jul 2010 - 09:33 BST
It is amazing what sports can do. We were brought up thinking sports were some physical exercise or play time.
mimi, Uganda: 05 Jul 2010 - 14:19 BST
Most girls in Uganda's villages are brought up to be timid, they are told not look directly at a man when talking to them, bow their heads when talking them because it is viewed as disrespectful to do otherwise. So when they come to school, they carry this timidity along and rarely participate in class leaving it to the boys who they believe are better than them. I have read about the sure start Project of MIFUMI and what they are doing with the girls and i think they deserve this award. Thank you beyond sports for recognising such girl focused initiatives.
Gladys: 05 Jul 2010 - 13:37 BST
After school, I got onto my bicycle and started riding home. A few meters from the trading centre, a group of boys emerged from the nearby shrub and blocked my way. They demanded I get off my bicycle and hand them my books so they can see what I had learned at school. I refused and asked them to get out of my way. I started to get away when one of the boys grabbed me from the back and the other snatched my books. I have no idea where I got the strength to fight off the boys but I definitely have an idea where the moves came from; my karate class. In less than 10 seconds, I had one of the boys on the ground literally begging me to let go. I did. I got onto my bicycle and rode away as fast as I could. The next day I thought they would show up and beat me up so I waited for the older boys in school to walk home. They (the bullies) did not show up. Word must have reached their friends because nobody calls me names anymore. Now i can walked alone through the trading centre and all the boys just looked on. some dare to greet me, in a nice way.
Lydia: 05 Jul 2010 - 13:30 BST
I am 15 years old. I joined tae-kwondo club while at Pasindi Primary School Uganda as a consolation, a place to run away from my academic woes hoping I could get good at something since I was not the brightest girl in my class. This probably was the right decision I has ever made because my life was totally transformed in all aspects. First this club introduced me to new caring friends, then the discipline brought out skills I never knew I possessed. My grades started improving. I was surprised when all my friends in the club elected me as the chairperson of the taekwondo club of Pasindi. Taekwondo brought out my leadership skills, confidence and self esteem. I am grateful to MIFUMI for starting up such a project focussing on the girl child and my trainer Bongomin Carol (RIP).
Sylvia: 05 Jul 2010 - 13:22 BST
Karate did not only teach me the physical exercise, it taught me many other disciplines that totally transformed my life. During the karate training we were taught self discipline, self defence and a few weeks later, my confidence started to manifest. Even though I loved sports, I was shy around boys. Now I can challenge both boys and girls in both sports and academics. I have gained respect from the girls that I now train in my school. I am determined to stay in school so that I can help other girls. I thank MIFUMI and Women Win for your continued support to my school and our Karate club.
MARY: 18 Jun 2010 - 08:52 BST
We parents in Uganda who previously were negative about our girls being involved in Karate and Tae-kwondo have discovered that girls need confidence and skills to fight off abuse on their own and this is what the Sure Start project has done to our girls. We are not worried when our girls go to school on their own they can protect themselves.