Page 13 - TYSA IMPACT REPORT 2017

“Self-discovery
At 12 years old, Annmarie Njuguna had a challenge with expressing herself. She had tried doing so on many occasions but fear resulted to unsuccessful trials. “Whenever I stood before people even my own peers, I would forget everything I wanted to say and would just stand there. Fear was my portion” says Annmarie. Annmarie first joined TYSA in 2014 and has never looked back. She participated in the Children Voices festivals, where her confidence developed and she played the role of Master of Ceremonies (MC) different sessions. During the 2014 festival, she questioned why girls were not considered for participation in the East Africa Cup in Moshi Tanzania. “I feel that girls should be given equal opportunities as boys” Annmarie
She championed the girls’ participation in the Iringa Festival in Tanzania 2015 where they played mixed gender teams. While at Iringa, Annmarie was instrumental in articulating gender inclusivity in sports. She featured in a Football 3 film documentary that was later screened in Festival 16 LYON France. “I used to have fears but I managed to overcome my first fear when I got the opportunity to board a plane to Lyon France”. “It was a life changing moment for me. At Festival 16 Lyon, I had the opportunity to play, interact with and learn from young people from across the world”.
At TYSA Annmarie is a co-mentor in music, dance and drama which is a key component of the children voices festival as well as a mediator in the football-3 tournaments. At her secondary school she is the volleyball team captain, where she motivates, inspires and encourages fellow girls. Her mission is to promote girls education through sports.
“Self-discovery is a puzzle for young people at times. It is with exposure, exploration and participation that they realize their strengths, and that’s what TYSA has done to me.” “It has given me Girl power” Annmarie quips
Transfroming Young Stars of Africa
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