Nikolaj Coster-Waldau talks about peace and sport with the Soccer Divas from Mombasa

Nairobi March 4th 2017
"We saw how much fun the men and children where having when they played soccer, and we decided to start our own soccer club" Says Mariam Mpaata, team captain of the Soccer Divas.
But when she and a group of women founded the first female amateur soccer club in Mombasa, they made it about more than just soccer. They made it about standing united to heal and improve their community.
"When we heard about Global Goals World Cup we thought YES it is made for us!" The team decided to play for Goal number 16: Peace and Justice, because they wanted to prevent the upcoming elections from reigniting the violence and unrest, that has been seen in Kenya in the past.
"We have realized, that as women we have power to create change. Because we are influencing both our sisters, our husbands and our children" Mpaata explains. "The soccer team became the platform, that gave us courage to raise our voice"... 

The Global Goals World Cup was founded on the belief, that in itself, the cocktail of soccer and purpose is a great enabler of progress. But in combination with groups of dedicated women, it is almost like a chemical reaction. -Creating an unstoppable community of change agents! Mariam and her Divas are a perfect example. But the Soccer Divas from Mombasa are just one of 28 inspiring teams who played in Nairobi on March 5th. They are all a testament to the power of Sport (and women!) to change the world.

Happy International Day of Sport for Development and Peace from the GGWCUP team. 

Thank you to our incredible partners from DANIDA, Save the Children, UNDP, Safaricom  and  GAIN who made this possible.