Mariah Lee Reflects on Trip to the DRC
Step Up Athlete and professional soccer player, Mariah Lee, talks about her first on-field experience with CAC, advancing gender equality in the DRC.
I have just returned home after spending two weeks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). While I have been a part of the Choice For Women team for more than a year now, this was my first on-field experience with CAC. For the majority of my time in the DRC, I led trainings on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention at the Malaika Community Center in Kalebuka as part of a global initiative with EngenderHealth to address UN SDG 5: Gender Equality.
In other words, I used Purposeful Play (i.e., sport/games/play) to teach community leaders about SRHR and GBV Prevention. They will go on to lead sessions in their communities, impacting hundreds of youth across the DRC. Elvis, head of the Malaika Community Center and long-time CAC accredited coach spearheaded the sessions, and together we graduated more than 40 leaders over the course of one week.
Reading and hearing about what CAC does is one thing, but experiencing it firsthand is entirely different. There is something really powerful about experiential learning and using play to spark dialogue and introduce concepts. This could look like a game of tag where taggers represent a sexually transmitted disease and the safe area represents a condom. This could also be a game of soccer or handball where scoring a goal symbolizes pregnancy and goalkeepers symbolize different types of contraception. Each game is designed to stimulate discussion and incorporate participants’ ideas and solutions.
You might think adults wouldn’t be that excited to get outside and play games all day, but the folks we worked with were incredibly enthusiastic! Our cohort had so much energy– we danced and chanted and laughed together every day. We had our share of serious moments, too. During the week we touched on topics such as reproduction, family planning, contraception, HIV/STI protection, reproductive rights, stereotyping, inclusion, opportunity, power dynamics, and safe choices. For many participants, this was their first time broaching some of these subjects.
Fortunately, we were able to create a safe environment where participants were able to ask questions about stereotypically taboo topics. I was able to correct misconceptions participants held about reproduction, contraception, and female athletes. Interestingly enough, the men in our cohort were more accepting of women in sport, and it was the women who were more apprehensive. Most of the women had played soccer when they were younger but eventually stopped because of pressure from their community. They were told playing soccer would make them become infertile, turn into a boy, lose their virginity, lose their breasts, etc. I gladly busted those myths!
Outside of our SRHR and GBV Prevention trainings, I spent the majority of my time running soccer sessions with coaches and players– including girls from the Malaika School and boys from the surrounding community. In the DRC there is no public education. Parents either have to come up with the money for school fees or their children sit at home all day– or for many– at the local football pitch. I coached many boys who had little to no formal education, where football is one of the few pathways to a better life. Malaika is a tuition-free private school for girls founded by international supermodel Noella Coursaris Munsunka. Noella, who is Congolese and Cypriot was born in the DRC, but raised in the UK after her father died. Noella’s mother, like most Congolese women, had no education and could not support her. This reality fueled Noella’s desire to create opportunities for girls and women in her home country.
E-meeting Noella and being welcomed by the administrators at Malaika was incredibly inspiring and further cemented my passion for empowering Black girls. Being able to impact the girls and women of the Kalebuka community is something I will never forget!
World’s FIRST Accredited Coaches in Purposeful Play Announced!
Back in January we announced the launch of our new Accredited Coach initiative. Accredited Coaches are the only coaches in the world equipped with Education Outside the Classroom training to impact the UNSDGs and Safe-Guarding Child Rights through Purposeful Play curriculum and methodology. For more information please visit this blog.
Coaches Across Continents has had the honour of working with and supporting tens of thousands of coaches, teachers and community leaders across the world since our inception in 2008. Amongst our most engaging and enthusiastic partners are our Community Impact Coaches (CIC’s), who are the local leaders in their communities and have the passion to deliver social change through sport. We have designed this initiative to further enhance their skill set and are delighted to announce the first six of them below…
Nico Achimpota – Kigoma – Tanzania
Nico Pota is a Tanzanian CIC and is one of the original members of CAC, contributing to the birth of CAC’s first programme in 2008. Since then Nico has been dedicated to bringing sustainable social change to developing communities in multiple countries in Africa. He truly cares about communities and believes that education is the most sustainable way to help people reach their goals and change their lives. Nico is an inspiring community leader, a respectful teacher, and an all-around sportsman.
Daniela Gutierrez – Juego en tu Barrio – Peru
Daniela Gutierrez Neciosup is a community leader in every sense of the term. She has invested in her city of Lima, Perú through involvement and leadership in many different organizations including her current initiative, Juega en tu Barrio. She has been a CAC Community Impact Coach since we first met her in 2014 and has traveled with CAC all over Perú and to México and Ecuador. Her life motto says it all – “PASSION MADE ACTION: Transform everything you are passionate about into actions that allow us to build a better world”.
Jaspreet Kaur – Rurka Kalan YFC – India
A CIC since 2015, Jaspreet has travelled across India and to Qatar with CAC. Jaspreet is also the Project Manager at YFC Rurka Kalan in Punjab – one of India’s leading youth football academies. A passionate believer in the power of sport and how it can change lives, Jaspreet is a trailblazer in creating and delivering innovative projects that impact children and young people in her community, across india and beyond.
Elvis Nshimba – Malaika – Democratic Republic of Congo
A CIC since 2015, Elvis Nshimba is the Programs and Evaluation Manager at Malaika. Elvis joined Malaika as a teacher in 2012 and in 2014, joined the first on-field training with CAC, where he then got involved in using sport as a tool to educate communities. Elvis’ goal is to ‘tirelessly impact youths and adults from the community center and regional schools towards sustainable development, training and i’m committed in supporting youths to become coaches’.
Saraswati Negi – Naz Foundation – India
A CIC since 2019, Saraswati has delivered programming in India and the Phillipines with CAC and is a champion of womens and girls rights across the world. Saraswati works as Training Coordinator with The Naz Foundation (India) Trust. In her role she is responsible for managing, designing, reviewing, redesigning and conducting all TOT programs in Naz for capacity building of staff. She leads the mainstreaming of Abhayam- Naz Child Protection of children and young vulnerable adults within Naz’s activities. Saraswati derives motivation from young people’s leadership and strives to work for them and with them.
David Mulo – Green Kenya – Kenya
After attending several CAC trainings from 2010-2013, David was inspired to take the leap and start his own NGO in 2013 called Green Kenya. Green Kenya works with schools and runs programmes to use sport for social empowerment with a focus on women’s rights and the environment. David became a CIC in 2017 whilst being Director of Green-Kenya. He has travelled across Kenya and to Malawi with CAC – delivering Purposeful Play programming and David mentioned he now has a burning desire to change the world through play.
Salim Twaha Blanden – Mbarara Sports Academy – Uganda
Salim is the founder of Mbarara Sports Academy in Uganda and was the first ever Community Impact Coach in the country! Salim uses sports and purposeful play to connect with children and young people to create awareness about different issues affecting his community and other communities in Uganda.
Patrina Kaye Nartea Caceres – FundLife International – Philippines
Patrina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts Degree from the University of the Philippines and is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching at the Leyte Normal University. She has been a football coach since 2010. She is presently a college instructor of the Eastern Visayas State University and a football coach /mentor of FundLife International. She has been a CAC Community Impact Coach (CIC) since 2015. She pursues her motto of “helping change the world, one class/ football team at a time”.
Benedict Marquis – Sports With A Mission – India
Benedict M, founder of Sports With A Mission teaches life skills through sports, to underprivileged children and youth, using purposeful play and self directed learning. He creates safe spaces for children and youth especially for girls and women to explore and express themselves.
Lina Restrepo – INDER Medellín – Colombia
Lina is a former player for Atlético Nacional and Antioquia Soccer Team. She now is a Psychologist, Specializing in Activity Psychology, Physics and Sports, and currently works as a professor at the Universidad San Buenaventura. In Lina’s words “Since 2015, the experience with CAC in Urabá, Bogotá, Chile and other places of the world, has allowed me to find new directions in my life: to know what is beyond high performance, and that we have the power to be intentional with Sport for the Development in our communities, playing for social purposes from sexual education, mental health, diversity, interculturality, questioning traditional sport, gender violence and much more.”
Psicóloga, Especialista en Psicología de la Actividad Física y el Deporte. Exjugadora de Atlético Nacional y Selección Antioquia de Fútbol. Actualmente, docente de la Universidad San Buenaventura e integrante del equipo Deporte y Convivencia del INDER Medellín.
Desde el año 2015, la experiencia con CAC en Urabá, Bogotá, Chile y otros lugares del mundo, ha permitido encontrar nuevas direcciones en mi vida: conocer que más allá del alto rendimiento, tenemos el poder de intencionar el Deporte para el Desarrollo de nuestras comunidades, jugar con propósitos sociales de educación sexual, salud mental, diversidad, interculturalidad, cuestionar el deporte tradicional, las violencias de género y mucho más.
SuperHero, Elvis Nshimba
After a two week break, our 2020 on-field delivery returned last week and we were delighted to work with our long-term CIC, Elvis Nshimba, in the community of Kalebuka, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Elvis Nshimba reminds us of a SuperHero. In the community of Kalebuka, he is one of the many superstars of our partners Malaika. Malaika provide free primary and secondary education to over 300 girls, run a successful community centre and have recently installed and refurbished 19 wells in their local community – ensuring that over 30,000 people have access to clean drinking water. Amidst this force of change, Elvis spent years building his career as an English teacher and as his skills grew, so did his responsibilities. So much so, that his ‘day job’ is now as part of the Executive Team where he oversees the programmes and the evaluation of initiatives throughout the school.
And like any superhero, Elvis has an alter ego. He is one of the world’s leading #PurposefulPlay Educators! A Community Impact Coach since 2014, Elvis’ energy and enthusiasm are infectious and participants in his training sessions always want more. Elvis has impacted over 10,000 children in his time with CAC, running programmes in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and most recently, running his own #EducationOutsideTheClassroom programme in the DRC.
With CAC’s support, Elvis delivered a world class programme for teachers, coaches and educators – providing mentorship around Covid-19 safety, CAC SAFE and gender equality.
Conservation and Education
July 21, 2017. CAC Global Citizen Nicole Slevin wrote about our first year with World Parks, World Cup in Bende-Mutale, South Africa.
This week we partnered with World Parks, World Cup in Bende-Mutale located in the far NE corner of South Africa, bordering Zimbabwe & Mozambique. WPWC’s goal is to bring together the communities that surround the Great Limpopo National Park, in these neighboring countries, establishing open communication and support with groups that might not otherwise connect. They have the opportunity to build and share resources, with the Coaches Across Continents curriculum as a common link, between the coaches, teachers, community leaders and the children in these villages. It is a great vision and we were excited to be involved from the beginning!
This was my first week being a Global Citizen with CAC, and my first week ever visiting South Africa! No one could have promised me or prepared me for such a rich experience. I don’t think I have ever learned so much in such a short window of time. Every day is filled with new learning opportunities, genuine unique human interactions, and little moments of gratitude and magic. Along with the beauty of the sunsets, the vastness of the trees in the bush & the varying animals that keep you company at night. It’s hard not to fall in love with South Africa and the remarkable experience of working with CAC.
I quickly learned this is a complex program, coaching in and of itself is hard! Being a good and effective coach takes practice and clear intentions. CAC’s curriculum does so much, by providing Self-Directed Learning techniques to the coaches, so that when the program is over the lessons and social impact topics still continue being discussed. It’s a mixture of teaching effective coaching practices, dependable football skills, setting up an environment for social impact discussions, and providing guidance on how coaches and leaders can use these in their own environments. With a few daily life lessons to go along in that mix. It’s a lot! But I’ll say it again – I’ve never learned so much in just one week.
There were many memorable moments during the week – of course, watching the games implemented with kids running around barefoot and happy. I could be a part of that everyday! But there were also many moments with the coaches in the program, when good discussions were had after a game or when they provided positive feedback that the program was going to help change how they coached or taught at the schools. They were extremely grateful and without asking, it was clear that we had made a difference. That’s a feeling I want to always remember. I felt lucky to work with such amazing, engaged people.
Elvis, the CIC traveling with us from the Democratic Republic of Congo said tonight – “I didn’t know what good volunteering could do for me, until I worked with CAC. Then I realized that doing something for someone else, without expecting something in return – it can bring peace, even in the mind.”
As we drive away in the early morning, headed to Zimbabwe, Charlie plays Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to say goodbye”. And we can leave smiling, knowing we did good work with the people of WPWC in Bende-Mutale.
Today Is Peace Day!
September 21st 2016. Today is Peace Day. This UN recognized day, facilitated by Peace One Day, is a day to promote peace and international cooperation through events and activities. One of the key Peace Day initiatives is One Day One Goal. This initiative uses the power of soccer to unite people, strengthen peace-building efforts and educate about social inclusion. Some of the biggest supporters of One Day One Goal include global sporting ambassadors Gary Lineker, Victor Wanyama and Fabrice Muamba. As part of One Day One Goal over the past few years, we provide a Peace Day resource packet to organizations in over 130 countries. This packet helps them play games to teach youth about understanding forms of violence and avoiding stereotypes. To see a recent example of the reconciliatory nature of the CAC curriculum and sport check out this recent blog from Indonesia which united two conflicting communities. This topic is especially important in the current global climate of ethnic divisiveness often stoked by fear and paranoia. No matter your medium, promoting peace and social inclusion for Peace Day will send an important message of unity.
Today and over the next week organizations will be running events and activities using sport to promote peace. For example, our partners in DRC Malaika, ran sports sessions, dance events and theater at their community center. Training4ChangeS our partner in South Africa ran problem solving games on Peace Day with key community leaders. In Uganda, Soccer Without Borders Uganda had their children, many of whom are refugees; sing songs; play sport; and make crafts. Naz Goal in India ran events to promote peace between their young people. This is just a small sample of the Peace Day activities- there will be many more over the next few days. If you are running Peace Day 2016 events please send the pictures and stories to and we will promote your inspirational work.
Who will you make peace with this Peace Day?
Give Us A Problem… We’ll Address It With Sport
August 4th 2016. CAC’s second year partnering with Menelik Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Problem: Corruption
Corruption is an epidemic with greedy claws gripping the international community. Sometimes it dons an invisibility cloak. Other times it stares you straight in the eyes. When corruption made itself abundantly visible to the ignorant members of the global football family, the beautiful game felt violated. So why not use that very game to stimulate dialogue on the issue?
Solution: Sport
The group of coaches is split into four teams. Each team lines up behind one of four cones equidistant from each other and from the center of the space. In the center lay scattered pieces of any kind of material – cones, bibs, balls, or anything (safe) that a coach can get their hands on. On this day we have cones and bibs aplenty.
The first task: one person at a time from each team sprints to the middle, selects one piece of equipment, brings it back to their team, tags the next person, and joins the end of their team’s line. Continue until all the equipment is out of the middle. Simple? Simple. 1-2-3-Go!
We have a mix of misunderstanding and outright cheating. We clarify rules – one person at a time, one piece of equipment at a time, and the next person must wait until they are tagged before they go. What’s the difference between making a mistake and cheating? Great – we’re on the same page.
Task two: This time each team has a goal of 6 pieces of equipment total and must decide how many of each type will make up the 6. For example they can set their goal at 4 cones and 2 bibs or 3 cones and 3 bibs. Then we will see which team has achieved their goal.
We allow the teams a few minutes. We hear their goals. We take away some equipment to ensure chaos. We test their concentration with some start-when-I-say-go-1-2-3-begins. We play.
CHEATING!
We ask if they saw any cheating. They all point fingers at the other teams. We ask if anyone will own to cheating. A few raise hands. We praise their honesty. We ask why they think people, in general, are motivated to cheat? They discuss. We listen.
The desire to win at all costs. Because other people are. Because everyone else is.
How do you feel if you win by cheating? How do you feel if you lose but did not cheat? Why is the fear of failure greater than the fear of dishonesty?
Idea pause. Let’s play again. Do you want to play with or without cheating? Without? Okay let’s give it a go.
Third task: Same rules. But this time once all the equipment is gone from the middle you can begin taking stuff from the other teams. All previous rules remain though – one person at a time, one piece at a time, etc. If you want you can adjust your goals. One minute, then we play. 1-2-3-Go!
Good… gooooood… okayyy… niiiice… well done… uh oh… oh no… here we go…. OH MY CHEATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Absolute chaos. Let’s explore. What happened?
Some more accusations. Laughter. Some honest reflections. Some delicious silence.
Cheating was infectious. Like corruption? How do people become corrupt in your community? How can you prevent corruption? They discuss. We listen.
The group of 30 coaches from Boma, DRC organized by CAC partner Menelik Education, was curious with a dash of skepticism that sport could be used to teach subjects like sexual health and corruption. After growing better acquainted with our methodology and several CAC games, we hope they believe in the power of sport. A power, like any, that can be bent towards destruction… unless we choose otherwise, unafraid to fail, praising honesty and vulnerability as we explore the chaos.
