Beating The Bias

Nelly, Kenya

Moving The Goalposts (MTG) is a pioneer in football for girls’ empowerment in Kenya’s Coast Region. Started in 2002 in Kilifi, the women-led organisation works towards a fair, just and inclusive world where girls and young women’s rights are acknowledged, respected and realised. It uses a football and rights-based approach, focusing primarily on education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic empowerment and leadership development. 

Aside from sport for development programmes, MTG also runs the MTG United programme that nurtures players’ talents to become professional football players and take up sport as a career. Nelly was a participant in MTG programmes and later became top goalscorer for the MTG United team before she was scouted to play football in Tanzania in 2022.

My name is Nelly Kache Jonathan, I was born and raised in Kilifi on the east coast of Kenya. I went to school at Sokoke Primary School and later Waa Girls Secondary School. My passion for football drove me to register with Moving The Goalposts (MTG) and participate in their league. I would play with boys in my school and people would wonder why I enjoyed football that much despite being a girl. I was later scouted to participate in one of MTG’s elite teams. I played for the MTG United under-13 team for about two years before I was promoted to the senior team.

In my family we have six children - four girls and two boys. I am the first born and in an African family the focus is usually on the first born child to assist the parents in raising the living standards once they come of age. My father is a casual labourer with very minimal salary, considering he has to support me and my siblings. He juggles several jobs to raise enough income to sustain us as a family. My father acknowledges MTG’s support because through MTG I gained educational support, reducing the burden on our family.

What has your football journey been like up until now?

My football journey has been a bit tough, as football is perceived as a men’s sport in my community. I wondered if I was normal because my passion for football was like a fire burning inside me that could not be put out, yet the community around me perceived the sport differently. Coming from a humble background and being the first-born child, it was a bit hard to ask for sporting gear due to the competing priorities in our home. I would play football barefooted until I was given a gift of a pair of boots by Moving The Goalposts. 

I have featured for the MTG United senior team for several seasons and last year I was crowned the overall national top scorer for the Women Division One League. It was then when my profile grew and I was scouted by the Tanzanian club Fountain Gate Princess FC in Dodoma, who are participating in the Tanzanian Premier League.

I was highly motivated and happy when I was scouted to play for Fountain Gate Princess FC because it was one of the teams I had dreamt of playing for within East Africa. I had a dream of challenging myself. I set personal objectives and amongst them was to play in the Premier League in my country first, then elsewhere in East Africa, and finally in Europe. When I was leaving, MTG United had just qualified for promotion to Women’s Premier League, but I could not stay because the call from Fountain Gate was a positive challenge for me.

What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a wider meaning with the photos? 

The photos were taken at one of MTG’s league fields - Mnarani league field - which is also MTG United’s Division One home ground. The photos are of my fellow teammates and there is also one with our coach, Fathime Tibu. She made an impact on my career by selecting me to play in the MTG United senior team, which led to me getting scouted by Fountain Gate Princess.

I tried to capture all the activities that make up a normal day of practice, the teamwork and sisterhood we have in our team.

My teammates really contributed to my being scouted because we had gelled well in our playing style and I believe this impressed many people. I emerged the overall top scorer in Division One, but this would not have been possible without my teammates, our teamwork and the cohesion we displayed during matches, which attracted many people to watch our matches.

You can see my teammates before practice. The player at the front is our midfielder and it was her duty that day to fetch water for us to drink during practice. You can also see a match in our community. In spite of the scarcity of goalposts in our communities, my team set up sticks to imitate goalposts and went on to play.

The players in the circle are boys, but what motivated me to take the photo is that there is usually a young 8-year-old girl who practises with those boys on a daily basis. The girl reminds me of my younger self and how my football journey started.

What role does football play in your community and Kenyan society?

Football plays a big role in our community since it unites us and promotes togetherness in our communities. It gives us players a sense of belonging. It has also been an avenue for creating awareness on sexual reproductive health and rights, drug abuse, and teenage pregnancies. People are mobilised through football and educated on different topics.

Football in itself is an inclusive sport, though there is still a need for some communities to embrace it as a sport that can be played by anyone despite their gender or physical ability.

What are the opportunities for women and girls to play football in your community and in Kenya?

In my community, thanks to Moving The Goalposts, there is an increased opportunity for girls to participate in football - and not just participate, but excel in footballing careers.

In Kenya, women’s football has gained an upward trajectory with increased opportunities to participate in football. This has also helped create a national competitive league for women, though there is still room for improvement and development.

I want women’s footballers to be given equal chances and opportunities as their counterparts in the men’s game, and also equality in salary payment. This will shun discrimination that is currently being displayed among athletes.

What impact has the Moving The Goalposts program had on you and your community?

Moving The Goalposts has really impacted my growth. The various opportunities I have had to showcase my talent were as a result of MTG. Through MTG, I was able to play with other talented players which made me feel at home and even more motivated to pursue my dream. Through MTG my community has embraced football as an inclusive sport that can be played by both men and women. MTG has also made my community grow their love for the game and most specifically for women’s football.

What ambitions do you have for the future?

Football is not just a game to me but a passion and a career I choose to pursue. My dream is to reach the furthest heights in my football career and to feature in European leagues like some of the Kenyan international players.

What do you think the future looks like for sport in your community and country? What do you want to change? How would you improve gender equality?

Football in my country is going to continue to grow, and in the future there will be increased scouting opportunities for athletes. Our leagues will be competitive with great sponsorship and marketing opportunities. I would love to change the bias that exists between men and women where pay is different. The pay for men is higher even if they are participating in the same tier. The men’s league is also prioritised and given more attention, unlike the women’s league.