Renowned musical grouping Organised Family has managed to send over 120 girls back to school through the women Division One side Student Girls FC based in Kabwata constituency.
Kent Singoyi, who is known as Oga Kent, said Student Girls FC was established to help the girls pursue both the football career and education.Singoyi said the team started last year in amateur and has managed to win promotion to Division One, with over 120 girls already recruited.
He said Organised Family cares about the plight of young girls and wants to help them stay away from vices that could ruin their lives.“I am very passionate about football and we thought we could use our team to attract the girls back to school and take advantage of the free education policy that the new dawn government has introduced,”
Singoyi said.He said some of the girls were on the verge of being married off at a tender age but they were rescued from early marriages and have gone back to school while others are playing football.“We have been helping girls in different ways, those who can’t play football are being empowered in a different way, and the idea is not to leave anyone behind. We believe football is a powerful tool because it is a sport that is loved by everyone,” he said.He said the team has already contributed players to various national teams and it aims to play in the Super League next season.
Singoyi said Olga Family has been using the money they earn from music to support the team and appealed to non-governmental organisations and other well-wishers who want to help a girl child to join them.“It hasn’t been easy to run a football club and at the same time support the girls.
Some of these girls have children, so what we do is we support them and see if they can play football, and if they can’t we facilitate their return to school,” he said. “We also help them form groups of 10 and become a cooperative so that they can apply for CDF.”He said Olga understands the hardships people face in compounds, hence the decision to focus on the girl-child.“
This is the project for the entire Organised Family, we have myself, Rex, Singoyi, Hagai Mwansa and Ackson Phiri. We work together to support a girl-child and what we find sometimes is touching – a 13-year-old girl is pregnant, but we try our best to support them go back to school,” he said.And club matron Memory Namakando said the team has established itself as one of the best and has helped many girls.Team manager Nchimunya Mudenda said working with different girls has been challenging and interesting at the same time
Source : Zambia Daily Mail
