Clerice Mrengi

Clarice, Clara for friends, is a twenty two year old young woman from Tsagwa, Kaloleni. She started playing football when she was in primary school, continued playing in secondary school and joined MTG late 2007 as an out-of-school player. From the start Clarice got involved in many activities. She cherishes the good memories when she was trained as a referee, peer educator and coach. Especially the memories of the first MTG camp are valuable for her. During that camp she learned where MTG is about and she met many new people.

Clarice has learned a lot in MTG. "I was explained so many things that I was not aware of. I know now that abortion, HIV & AIDS and STI's exist. I know the dangers and I'm able to make better decisions. My communication skills have improved e.g. now I'm able to let someone talk until she finishes and not interrupt her. As a coach you have to be punctual. That is what I am now. Before I wasn't very punctual", she chuckles.

In MTG she has made friends from different divisions in Kilifi and Kaloleni district. She likes to exchange ideas with them. The most exciting place to share ideas was Dadaab, the refugee camp near the border with Somalia where Clarice went with three other MTG girls to coach football techniques and give peer education. She explains, "some of the girls in the camps have fled with their families from Ethiopia, Sudan or Somalia. Their houses are tents or huts made of grass, sticks, clothes, sacks or oil drums. I realized that the people in the refugee camp really need help." Clarice hopes that her experiences and skill training in MTG will help her to work in the community. She would like to become a community health worker. And of course a good coach: the best coach in Kenya, so that she can coach the national women football team. If she doesn't manage to fulfil these dreams she is planning to open her own shop. "Through the economic empowerment programme in MTG I know now how to look for money and to make profit. And that with profit I can increase my capital," she adds. Clarice realizes that it is because of her involvement in the MTG activities that she's able to reason like this. "I was not able to do a course, but MTG kept me busy and meanwhile I learned so many skills", she says. "Without MTG I would have probably been married. Eh....," she looks at me to scan my reaction, "I want to marry, don't get me wrong, but when I'm thirty or so". She smiles and concentrates again on her preparations for the football practice for her team that afternoon.