In the dusty courts of Bungoma County, where poverty casts long shadows and high rates of physical and sexual violence trap girls in cycles of early school dropout, teenage pregnancy, and shattered dreams, 14-year-old Nelima once felt invisible. Overstretched public services offered little help, and prevention efforts were scarce. But Imarisha Usawa saw her potential, and the power of basketball to rewrite her story.<br />It started with a dribble. Nelima joined our community basketball program, a tool for change that draws in girls like her alongside families, coaches, educators, elders, and local leaders. On the court, she learned more than crossovers and jump shots. Coaches taught her to recognize red flags of violence and speak up, while elders shared stories of norm change, shifting mindsets that once normalized inequality. Her mother attended family sessions, unlearning harmful beliefs and becoming her fiercest advocate. Educators linked the team to school retention support, breaking the dropout chain.<br />Basketball built Nelima's leadership. She captained her team, organized drills that doubled as confidence workshops, and led peer circles on body autonomy and goal-setting. Today, Nelima dreams of coaching the next generation, her grades soaring and her voice echoing in community forums.<br /><br />Imarisha Usawa's prevention focused approach works because it unites everyone: girls empowered on the court, families transformed at home, and leaders driving lasting change. But we need your help to strengthen our work by creating better safe spaces. Across all wards in Bungoma, we lack basketball courts that are our safe spaces. Please support our aspirations to provide safe spaces for girls to thrive.

This request supports school-going children aged 13 to 16 from remote rural communities in Migori and Kisumu Counties, where learners walk 7 to 12 kilometres each way to school. Most recipients are girls, who face added risks of fatigue, insecurity, harassment, and seasonal flooding, leading to frequent absenteeism and school dropouts. Providing bicycles and helmets will reduce travel time, improve safety, restore energy for learning, and help keep children, especially girls, in school with dignity, confidence, and equal access to education.

This request supports 150 people with disabilities aged 20 to 60 in Mangochi, Balaka, and Zomba, Malawi, who face daily mobility challenges that limit access to work, healthcare, and community life. Without assistive tricycles, many are unable to earn an income or move independently. Providing tricycles will restore mobility, support livelihoods, and enable people to participate in their communities with dignity and independence.

Since primary education was made free in Malawi in 1994, enrolment has grown significantly, with more than 5.3 million children now attending school. Yet behind these encouraging numbers lies a difficult reality. While almost equal numbers of boys and girls enrol, only around 35 percent complete primary school. Poverty, limited resources and systemic challenges continue to prevent many children from reaching their full potential. Football For Development (FFD) in Primary Schools is a hopeful response to this challenge. Through structured football activities, children are supported not only physically, but socially and emotionally as well. The program encourages movement and healthy lifestyles, while also teaching teamwork, communication, resilience and respect. On the field, children learn confidence, self-control and problem-solving skills that carry into the classroom and daily life. More than just a sport, football becomes a tool for belonging and motivation. It helps children rediscover joy in learning and builds positive values such as fair play and cooperation. Delivered by trained coaches, FFD creates safe, supportive spaces where children can grow stronger in body, mind and spirit. By nurturing the whole child, this initiative helps keep learners engaged in school and gives them renewed hope for their future.