Girls4Goals empowers 180 pupils in Sunyani through football, education

A total of 180 pupils from four basic schools in the Sunyani Municipality have benefited from a week-long Girls4Goals programme designed to promote gender equality, health, wellbeing and youth empowerment through education and sports.

The programme, organised by Forsports Foundation in partnership with KVMO e.V., a German organisation based in Cologne, combined eight educational workshops with a football tournament to equip the pupils with essential life skills and encourage their personal development.

The participating schools were Abesim RC Basic, Tanoano MA Basic, Nkrankrom MA Basic and Yawmire MA Basic.

The workshops addressed gender equality, the role of women in society, personal health, menstrual hygiene, respect, inclusion and confidence-building.

Through interactive discussions, the pupils were encouraged to ask questions, express their opinions and discuss issues affecting their lives in a supportive environment.

The initiative was supported by Engagement Global on behalf of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Empowerment
The Chairman of KVMO e.V., Dr Eugen Litvinov, commended Forsports Foundation, the participating schools, teachers and community stakeholders for their commitment to the development of young people.

He said integrating football with education offered an effective way to reach children with important lessons that could positively influence their growth and future.

Dr Litvinov also highlighted the importance of partnerships between Ghanaian and German organisations, noting that international cooperation could deliver meaningful results when tailored to the needs of local communities.

He expressed gratitude to the resource persons, teachers and community leaders who contributed to the programme and urged stakeholders to continue creating opportunities for young people to build

The Queenmother of Nkrankrom, Naa Lamiokor Ahene, encouraged the pupils to value themselves, take their education seriously and believe in their ability to achieve their aspirations.

She said parents, teachers, traditional authorities and the wider community had a collective responsibility to guide and protect children.

She called for safe and supportive environments where young people could learn, develop their talents and express themselves confidently.

Naa Lamiokor Ahene commended Forsports Foundation and its partners for taking the initiative directly to schools and urged them to sustain similar programmes to benefit more children.

Endorsement
The Sunyani Municipal Director of Education, Mr Godfred Domah, praised the organisers for complementing formal education with practical learning and activities that promoted youth development.

He observed that gender equality, health, wellbeing and menstrual hygiene were important issues that required open and appropriate discussions to equip young people with the knowledge to make informed decisions.

Mr Domah urged the pupils to apply the lessons learnt in their daily lives and encouraged teachers and school authorities to maintain supportive learning environments where children could participate freely.

He also called on organisations implementing school-based programmes to work closely with the Ghana Education Service and local education authorities.

Nkrankrom MA Basic
The programme climaxed with a football tournament featuring the four participating schools in separate primary and junior high school categories.

Nkrankrom MA Basic emerged champions in both categories and received trophies for their outstanding performances.

Beyond the competition, the tournament provided an opportunity for the pupils to develop teamwork, discipline, confidence, mutual respect and sportsmanship while strengthening friendships among the participating schools.

All 180 pupils who took part in the workshops and other activities received Certificates of Recognition at the end of the programme.

Entry point
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Forsports Foundation, Mr Christopher Forsythe, said the organisation used football as an entry point to engage young people on broader issues affecting their lives.

“Football gives us a natural way to bring young people together, but our work goes beyond the pitch. We use sport as an entry point to address issues that affect young people in their everyday lives, including education, health and wellbeing, gender equality, life skills and empowerment,” he said.

Mr Forsythe expressed appreciation to KVMO e.V., Engagement Global and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia for supporting the initiative.

He also acknowledged the contributions of the participating schools, resource persons, teachers, community leaders and pupils to the programme's success.

Expanding opportunities for young people

Girls4Goals is a flagship programme of Forsports Foundation, a Sunyani-based organisation that uses sports and community-based initiatives to promote youth development.

Its areas of focus include education, life skills, health and wellbeing, gender equality, safeguarding, safe spaces, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), environmental awareness and community development.

The foundation says it has reached more than 5,000 young people since 2014, including over 2,100 beneficiaries in 2025.

It is also developing the Sunyani Integrated Community Sports and Youth Empowerment Centre, which is expected to provide a permanent facility for sports, education, mentorship, health and wellbeing programmes, life skills training and other youth development activities.

The Girls4Goals initiative demonstrates how collaboration among schools, communities, local organisations and international partners can use sports to complement education and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to build a better future.