A few days ago, I had the chance to talk to Anna Phillips, the incredible 22-year-old founder of Girls Kick It!-- a comprehensive sports program for young women in northern Uganda. Anna created Girls Kick It! with the help of Global Youth Partnership for Africa (GYPA) to empower and educate women, many of whom have been affected by war and poverty, through sports.

Me: I'm excited to get to talk to you. I've heard so much about you from the Play City team that met you at the LA Training Camp.

Anna: It was really awesome! It's so exciting to see these people just starting out with their projects. They have these great, crazy ideas-- and those are what make the best projects. It's amazing to be around that energy.

Me: You're leaving for Uganda tomorrow. How long are you going for?

Anna: For a year! I got a Fulbright scholarship to do research on the affirmative action policies for women in Parliament. My research focuses on the implications for the women's movement.

Me: That'll be really interesting. Where are you from originally?

Anna: I grew up in San Diego, but I've been living in D.C. and my mom lives outside New York, so I spend a lot of time here.

Me: How did Girls Kick It! get started?

Anna: It got started because I grew up playing sports in middle school and high school. I wrestled and played rugby. I decided to major in human rights at George Washington University after traveling to Africa the summer before I started school. It was a self-designed major that allowed me a lot of flexibility in the classes I was able to take.  

Then in January 2006, I got a chance to combine my passion for sports and human rights. I went to the Global Youth Partnership for Africa's youth summit in Uganda. GYPA brought together American and Ugandan youth leaders who were interested and passionate about HIV/AIDS, women's issues and reconciliation. After the summit, I worked with GYPA to create a sports programs specifically for women. There were programs where women are involved, but nothing specifically for them. With  the help and support of GYPA I was able to find amazing mentors and resources to create Girls Kick It! In particular, the advice of Awista Ayub, a phenomenal woman who created a girls soccer program in Afghanistan, helped me in the early planning stages. The sports for social change movement is relatively small, and everyone was  willing to help and meet with me.

Me: How old were you when you started Girls Kick It!?

Anna: I was in college, just finishing my second year. I ended up taking a year off to work on the project.

Me: Do you spend a lot of time in Uganda to run the program?

Anna: I spent about six months there when I first started, then I was in Israel for five months afterward, studying Arabic and Hebrew. I have had the opportunity to travel with the team to South Africa and Denmark. We have incredible coaches and women who are involved with Girls Kick It! and GYPA.

Me: How many women are involved in the project?

Anna: We have served about 250 women. It's a core group of dedicated women.

Me: What ages do you serve?

Anna: We have players who range in age from 8 to 26. We have a target age, but we won't turn anyone away.

Me: Where is Girls Kick It! based?

Anna: We're based in Gulu, which is the northern region of Uganda. GYPA has offices in Washington DC and Kampala.

Me: Can you tell me more about the Homeless World Cup?

Anna: The HWC is an international street soccer tournament comprised of 48 countries.  The teams are made up of people who are refugees, homeless, or displaced persons. The last two years we had a co-ed team, but this is the first year we will have an all women's team. The first Women's Cup will be held in Melbourne, Australia this December.

Me: You're a great example to all the Play City activists who are just getting started in the sport-for-good movement. What advice do you have for them?

Anna: I wish someone had told me this: you are going to fail. At some point, you are going to fail and fall on your face, but you need to get back up and try again. No idea is too crazy. What if the founders of Google had given up on their idea because it was too crazy? It's about thinking outside the box and being both passionate and realistic. If you can be passionate and realistic, you will succeed. And surround yourself with smart and supportive people.

Me: Why do you think the sport-for-good movement is important in the world?

Anna: It's time to think outside the box for alternative ways to improve our world.  It's not just about giving people things, it's about empowering them. It's so incredible to see more people and companies get involved in sports for good-- big companies like Nike putting in so much time and effort. It's really inspiring.

Me: How do you get your funding?

Anna: I was really concerned about money when I first started. My mentor at GYPA told me, "The money will come. Write a letter to everyone you know." That's what I did-- I told them why this was important to me and why it should be important to them, and the donations came in, whether it was for $5 or $100. If people believe in you, they'll believe in your cause. I also spoke at my synagogue and sent a press release to my local newspaper. Complete strangers donated to the project. You don't need that much money-- money will stretch.  People really connect to this idea, and they open their minds, hearts and wallets.

Me: What's next for GYPA and Girls Kick It!?

Anna: We have the Women's Homeless World Cup in Australia in December. I am also looking to improving the quality of the program, not necessarily expanding it.
 
Me: So is rugby your favorite sport to play?

Anna: Yes, I love it. Painful, but incredible.

Me: Will you get to play while you're in Uganda?

Anna: I hope so. I'll be in the capital, so there are some leagues there. I'm bringing my cleats just in case.

Me: Do you have any final words of wisdom?

Anna: Everyone has a passion and a talent. If you can find a way to combine the two, you will be successful. My passion was women's empowerment and my talent was sports-- that's why Girls Kick It! made sense.

Learn more about Girls Kick It!

Get the Girls Kick It widget-- put it on your web page and use it to learn more and donate to the cause: http://seed.sproutbuilder.com/TwC1jlbZC5RmM5TI