This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
Published on May 11, 2020, Wadadia FC, a top contender in the Kenya Women's Premier League, has been making headlines for their football skills. However, their talents extend far beyond the football pitch.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the suspension of the Kenyan football season in March, the team's title ambitions were put on hold. But the girls were quick to adapt and find a new way to contribute to their community.
With their tailoring skills, they began sewing face masks, which have become a mandatory requirement in Kenya for anyone venturing into a public place. The team's mother company, Wadadia (Women And Development Against Distress in Africa), has been conducting sensitisation programmes during their football matches to give hope to victims of obstetric fistula and sexual abuse in the country.
The 30-member Wadadia team, comprising survivors of obstetric fistula, finished eighth on the league last season. Margaret Muniafu, a tailoring tutor at Wadadia, trains the players and fistula survivors in tailoring.
"After treatment, they come for skills here and we train them how to make different clothes and wears. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, we have switched gears to making face masks due to the high demand," Muniafu said.
The team's main aim is to make the girls self-reliant and self-employed. Monica Odato, the team captain and goalkeeper, added that they distribute the face masks free of charge to vulnerable people in and around Mumias who are unable to afford them.
