On a bright Saturday morning in the fishing village of Nungwi, something extraordinary happened. Forty-five girls and young women laced up their boots — some for the very first time — and played football.
Zanzibar Women Football Club’s community outreach team made the journey north to deliver a full morning of football sessions, bringing their coaches, equipment, and energy directly to a community that had never had access to organised women’s football before.
Why Nungwi
Nungwi was chosen as one of ZWFC’s first outreach destinations because of its distance from Zanzibar Town and the limited sports infrastructure available to women and girls in the area. For many of the participants, the session was their first experience of structured football training.
More Than a Game
The session ran from 9am to 1pm and covered football fundamentals — passing, dribbling, shooting, and small-sided games — but also included a brief session on confidence, teamwork, and the importance of staying active and healthy.
“I have never played football before today,” said one participant, a 16-year-old student from Nungwi. “I did not know I could do this. I want to do it again.”
The Impact
By the end of the morning, 45 girls had participated. Three expressed interest in travelling to Zanzibar Town to join ZWFC training sessions. Several parents and community leaders approached the ZWFC team to ask how they could bring more sessions to Nungwi.
Help Fund Our Outreach
Each community session costs approximately $50 to run — covering transport, equipment, and coaches. If you would like to fund a session in a community across Zanzibar, visit zwfc.tz/community.php to make a donation or request a session for your school or organisation.