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The girls at their training ground near Hutup, Jharkhand.
Effect on the girls
Listening to the girls on how they feel about Yuwa and football brings a radiant smile to one’s face; the girls seem to have understood not only the beneficial aspects of playing football but also the far-reaching societal benefits that it can have.
“By playing football we can stay healthy and through football we get to go far away from here and see lots of new places and learn new languages.”
“Through football we study and learn lots of different things.”
“I want to do something in my life, for my village and my country and move ahead in my own life.”
“Girls who don’t play football get married off early by their parents.”
“Before I joined Yuwa, I had 5-6 friends, now I have 50-60 friends. Girls who don’t join Yuwa are missing opportunities, they have boring life. We have fun.”
Pushpa Toppo (13), is by far the biggest star among them all. She started playing two years ago, with bare feet, a tattered yellow dress and a red bandana. In less than a year she made it into the girls’ national team. At the Asian Football Confederations Cup in Sri Lanka, she scored 6 goals in 5 games for India. She now travels with her coaches by motorcycle twice a week to help coach new players in a village thirty minutes away. She and her fellow community sports leaders will lead Yuwa’s programs in the future.
Partners and ‘SuperFans’
Support from corporate and institutional partners along with that from individuals (who Yuwa refers to as SuperFans) has been one of the key contributors to Yuwa’s success so far. Apart from these, some other prominent world organizations have also come forward to support the movement.
Nike & Architecture for Humanity Gamechangers: In 2011, Yuwa was named as one of only 10 winners worldwide (from over 250 entrants) in the Nike-Architecture for Humanity Gamechangers competition and received a grant of $25,000 from Sports Micro-Venture Fund to build a rural football training centre for women.
Coca-Cola: The cola maker has partnered with Yuwa to create the Yuwa Premier League, Jharkhand’s first league for girls, and one of the very few in India. Together with co-sponsors, Coca-Cola has pledged Rs 5 lakh (about $11,000).
