CARE - a non profit organization whose mission is to mission is "to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility" - has partnered up with Nike to help promote women's sports in Rwanda.
The idea is to encourage sport in play in a country largely impacted by poverty. Women of Rwanda can become empowered and build necessary communication skils through sport. Other partners in this effort include Women Win, and CARE ambassador Sheila Johnson, the President of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)- and the FIRST ever African-American female to own a professional sports team.
I found a video on YouTube made by Rwanda women, some of whom are disabled, and who coach other Rwandan women in various sports. Though this video is not directly related to the program sponsored by CARE and Nike, you'll find it just as inspiring to watch these women building strong coalitions through sport and play.
Kigali City rests on a span of hills, valleys, and ridges in the geographic center of Rwanda. With a population of about 8 million, Kigali serves as both the nation’s capital and the largest city in the country.
The women of Kigali City have seen a lot in the past 15 years. If you’ve watched Hotel Rwanda then you’ve gotten a small glimpse of the horrors of genocide that shook the country back in '94. Although no longer plagued with daily genocidal violence, women still tiptoe around social conventions that monitor their roles within a strong patriarchal tradition.
One arena of tiptoeing involves sports.
Dancing and singing are considered acceptable activities for Rwandan women, but football (a.k.a. soccer) is still a bit risky.
More and more women in Rwanda have been joining football teams since the formation of the Association of Kigali Women’s Footballers (AKWOF) in 2001, but many keep hush-hush about their participation. One football player commented, “[My husband] doesn’t know that I’m here. I come here by myself. But soon he’ll find out. I can’t just tell him because many men don’t like their wives playing football. So for the time being I’m doing this in secret. But I’m training to get better, and when I’m excellent, I’ll get his permission!”
In the past few years AKWOF registered 15 women’s soccer teams with over 400 girls, established a national women’s soccer league in Rwanda, trained professional female soccer coaches, and worked to gain greater government support for female sports programs.
Tiptoeing is losing ground to overhead kicks as women in Rwanda build quads that would put your big brother to shame.
Kigali City rests on a span of hills, valleys, and ridges in the geographic center of Rwanda. With a population of about 8 million, Kigali serves as both the nation’s capital and the largest city in the country. 
