In Namuwongo, a densely populated settlement in Kampala, Uganda, growing up as a girl means facing challenges most of us can barely imagine. One in four adolescent girls here becomes pregnant before the age of 18. Nearly half marry before they turn 18. Two-thirds of new HIV infections in Uganda affect adolescent girls. For many, a lack of knowledge about their own bodies and rights, combined with poverty and limited access to protection services, sets a cycle in motion that is very hard to break.

Girls United is our answer to that cycle, using football to open the door to something much bigger.

More than a game

Girls United brings together girls aged 10 to 18 for weekly football training, but the sessions are only the starting point. After every training, girls take part in life skills workshops covering sexual and reproductive health, menstrual health, consent, and how to recognise and respond to gender-based violence. They share a nutritious meal together, often the only proper meal some girls will have that day. And they build friendships and support networks that carry far beyond the pitch.

For girls not currently in school, the project also offers a route back into education, or six months of Street Business School, where girls learn to plan, budget and run a small business of their own.

This is what makes Girls United different. It is not just about football, and it is not just about health education. It is about giving girls the tools, the confidence and the community to take control of their own futures.

The difference it is making

This year, 68 girls have taken part in weekly sessions, supported by four peer-support groups that have become genuine safe spaces for sharing, learning and encouragement. Girls in these groups are helping to break down barriers too. Organised sport is still often seen as something for boys in this community, and 1 in 5 participants are now playing football freely, without stigma or exclusion.

The results speak for themselves:

• 15 girls have gone on to take up leadership roles in their schools, from health and hygiene to academics, welfare and sport
• Two girls have received school or vocational bursaries through connections made via the project, one now studying catering, another completing her final year of secondary school
• 68 girls have been given menstrual health education and supplies, removing one of the most common reasons girls miss school
• 100% of participating girls have shown improved knowledge of their sexual health rights

Parents are noticing the change too. Many report improved communication with their daughters and a real shift in confidence at home, not just on the pitch.

One girl’s journey

When Sarah, aged 14, first joined Girls United, she was shy and unsure of herself. She avoided group activities and found it hard to speak up, even among girls her own age.

Football training gave her a way in. Coaches began giving her small roles within team exercises, building her confidence step by step. Over time, she started speaking up, encouraging teammates, and taking the lead.

Today, Sarah is one of the most active players in her age group. She takes part fully in school activities and has become someone the younger girls look up to.

“Girls United has helped me believe in myself. I have learned football skills, made friends, and gained confidence to speak in front of others.”

Her story is one of many now unfolding in Namuwongo, each one a reminder of what becomes possible when girls are given the space, the support and the belief that they matter.

Looking Ahead

None of this happens without ongoing support. Rising costs of living and funding pressures mean the project currently runs on a limited schedule, and expanding capacity remains one of the biggest challenges the team faces. But with seven years of experience delivering Girls United, and a strong track record of results, this project has shown what a team can achieve together.

Thank you for being part of this story.