Health & education

MTG uses football as an entry point for several health & education programmes.

Health

MTG carries out a six month peer education programme in fifteen schools each year. The peer educators have collected all the girls asked them during the sessions. A reproductive health resource booklet on menstruation and puberty has been written in response to those questions. The books have made been available for girls participating in MTG activities. A second resource booklet will be published on relationships, love, rights, decision making and rape.

Peer led health project

MTG has 30 trained peer educators who hold sessions with girls at football fields and with players in schools. The aim of the programme is to provide up to date and accurate information so that girls can make informed decisions about their lives. It equips girls with information and peer support to promote safe and fulfilling relationships. The peer educators are trained as facilitators so that the sessions are interactive and provide a safe environment in which girls can ask sensitive questions. The peer educators have developed standard sessions which include knowing about:

  • MTG,
  • adolescence,
  • menstruation,
  • girl child rights,
  • decision making,
  • goal setting,
  • self esteem,
  • communication skills,
  • relationships,
  • HIV/AIDS,
  • voluntary counselling and testing (VCT),
  • antiretroviral drugs (ARV),
  • sexually transmitted infections (STI),
  • rape,
  • incest, and
  • unsafe abortion.

 

Public performances and taking part in local events

The peer educators also take part in local events, such as during World AIDS Vaccine Day. A group of girls who are trained in drama recite poems or play skits in order to disseminate information.

Counselors

MTG has 22 peer counselors who are trained by the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors. The girls are available to counsel girls who want to talk about problems or things that bother them. These are issues like family problems, conflicts and misunderstandings with friends, boy-girl relationships, school exam results, not allowed to play football and forced to get married.

Mobile video shows

Peer educators do follow up mobile video shows to the teams which they have visited. The videos they show are on decision making, HIV and AIDS etc. Since 2007 we also include boys in the video show sessions.

Economic empowerment

One of our objectives is to promote the economic independence of girls in MTG. This programme has started slowly giving some training to girls who are out of school on basic business skills. Plans are in place for 2010 to scale up the programme to provide assistance for girls to go for vocational training and start up capital for small business for winners of the leadership scheme who are out of school.

Education

Many girls in Kilifi do not get a chance to go to secondary school. Only 20% of girls who finish primary school go on to secondary because they can not raise the school fees needed. MTG promotes education by encouraging girls to stay in school and discussing with parents and girls the importance of an education. Girls who benefit from the leadership awards receive support towards their school fees if they are in secondary school and towards their text books, uniform etc. if they are in primary school. MTG also assists girls to access sponsorship and has an agreement with a local organisation, KESHO, which supports 4 MTG girls each year to go on to secondary school. In 2009, 50 girls received leadership awards from MTG.