{"id":36082,"date":"2012-03-07T02:22:36","date_gmt":"2012-03-07T02:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=36082"},"modified":"2012-03-07T02:22:36","modified_gmt":"2012-03-07T02:22:36","slug":"craig-bellamy-foundation-launches-girls-football-league-in-sierra-leone-on-international-womens-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=36082","title":{"rendered":"Craig Bellamy Foundation launches Girls Football League in Sierra Leone on International Women\u2019s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

08 March 2012 \u2013 <\/strong>The Craig Bellamy Foundation will on Thursday 8th March re-launch its girls football league across Sierra Leone in West Africa, giving over 200 young females the opportunity to reach new heights in sport and education.<\/p>\n

Kicking-off on International Women\u2019s Day with events in Makeni and Kenema, the expanded league aims to demonstrate the importance of gender equality, by offering equal opportunities to girls and boys in these regions to attend school, play football and lead their communities.<\/p>\n

Sierra Leone is currently ranked 180 out of 187 on the UN\u2019s Human Development Index, with gender inequality identified as one of the key issues affecting progress.<\/p>\n

All participants in the Girls League will be given full academic scholarships. \u00a0This follows a successful four-team pilot project in Makeni during the 2010-11 season that saw school attendance jump to 93%, compared with a national average for girls of just 17% (UNICEF 2009).<\/p>\n

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Tim Kellow<\/p><\/div>\n

Speaking ahead of the launch, Tim Kellow, the Foundation\u2019s CEO<\/strong>, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter a hugely successful debut season, we are delighted that this year\u2019s expanded League will include more girls in new parts of the country. \u00a0For many of the girls, involvement in the League has empowered them to lead change in their communities which is helping to challenge gender stereotypes that have traditionally restricted opportunities for women.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Girls League follows the success of the CBF Boy\u2019s league for under-14s that was set up in 2009 with UNICEF’s support, with over 2000 young people now playing across Sierra Leone.<\/p>\n

The CBF Youth Development League uses a unique structure that harnesses a love of football to promote education and community work among Sierra Leone\u2019s young people \u2013 with school attendance, participation in community projects, fair-play and match results given equal weighting when determining league positions.<\/p>\n

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About the Craig Bellamy Foundation<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

Set up in 2007, the Craig Bellamy Foundation is a charity offering underprivileged children in Sierra Leone the chance to reach their true potential through sport and education.<\/p>\n

With a focus on improving education standards, the Foundation runs the country’s only national youth league and a not-for-profit professional football academy.<\/p>\n

The CBF Youth Development League, established in 2009, is a ground-breaking initiative that uses football to empower a new generation of Sierra Leone children to change their own and their communities\u2019 lives for the better.<\/p>\n

It utilises a unique structure to promote education and community work among Sierra Leone\u2019s young people, with school attendance, participation in community projects, fair-play and match results given equal weighting when determining league positions.<\/p>\n

The League aims to tackle the country\u2019s key development priorities \u2013 education, health, youth exclusion and gender inequality \u2013 and with UNICEF\u2019s initial support is now established as the country\u2019s leading sport and development programme. Its impacts include:<\/p>\n