In a county where the weight of statistics often feels like a predetermined destiny, a local initiative is proving that a football and a field can be the ultimate defence against early pregnancies in Bungoma County.
The Wema Girls Cup, founded in October 2023, just concluded its sixth community tournament, drawing over 400 girls from across the region to compete in a high-stakes championship that ended in a thrilling 1-0 penalty shootout. But for the organizers and players, the real victory is measured in the absence of statistics, zero pregnancies and zero school dropouts among its participants.
The urgency of the Wema Girls Cup is underscored by sobering data. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS), Bungoma County has a teenage pregnancy rate of 19%, significantly higher than the national average of 15%.
Recent data from 2024 further highlights the crisis, with Bungoma consistently ranking among the top four counties nationally for reported cases. Ministry of Health records show a staggering cumulative total of over 106,000 pregnancies among girls aged 10–19 between 2016 and 2023. These numbers often translate into a cycle of poverty, with many girls forced to drop out of school or marry early.
A Shield Against Idleness
“We run tournaments every holiday to engage girls so they aren’t idle,” says Elizabeth Juma, the founder of Wema Girls Cup. Her motivation was born from a troubling observation in her own business, where she saw older men preying on underage girls. “By keeping them busy, they don’t have time for such practices.”
The program’s impact extends beyond the pitch. By partnering with schools like Busia Chapel, the tournament has facilitated sports scholarships for talented players, removing the financial burden of school fees that often makes girls vulnerable to exploitation.
Michelle Masika, the Captain of Murembe Starlets, is a living testament to the program’s success. “Through Wema tournaments, we are being sponsored at school, we don’t pay school fees,” she says. “It keeps us busy and away from ‘bad things.’ We don’t have time to just wander around and engage in un-meaningful practices.”
The Wema Girls Cup isn’t just about football. This year’s event included a conference where women leaders mentored the girls in life skills and reproductive health. Elizabeth Juma emphasizes that the program aims to build champions both on and off the field.
Despite its success, the initiative faces significant hurdles. Women’s sports in Bungoma still battle traditional norms that view football as a “boy’s game,” and there is a dire need for better facilities.
As the county continues to grapple with the “Triple Threat” of HIV, gender-based violence, and adolescent pregnancies, Juma is calling on the community and donors to join the journey.
“You can buy jerseys for a team, you can buy shoes, or you can sponsor education for a girl,” Juma urged. “Help us see that these girls do not fall under the statistic of early pregnancies in Bungoma.”
For the 400 girls who took to the field this season, the tournament wasn’t just about a trophy, it was about reclaiming their future, one goal at a time.
