A collaborative initiative between Girls First Fund, the Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW) and Alur Kingdom hosted a sports event in Nebbi District to address gender inequality. According to Nile Post, the gathering took place on Saturday, October 17, at Nyaravur Primary School. The program featured competitive matches for young athletes from Padyere, Jonam and Okoro counties, aiming to use athletic performance as a tool for social change. The central theme focused on removing obstacles to female leadership and health.
The tournament awarded two specific trophies, one for football and another for netball. Nile Post reported that Padyere claimed the netball title after defeating Jonam and Okoro in separate matches. In the football final, Jonam defeated the previous year’s champions, Okoro, by a single goal. Organizers viewed the athletic outcomes as a secondary benefit to the primary goal of community engagement. Participants used the occasion to highlight the need for keeping girls in school and shielding them from early motherhood.
Florence Ayo, a representative for Girls First Fund, stated that nurturing athletic talent could lead to economic independence and greater decision-making power for women. She noted that the presence of traditional leaders helped shift local attitudes because of their respected status. Stella Oyungrwoth, a programme officer for MEMPROW, explained that working with the kingdom allowed the organization to deliver culturally relevant messages through trusted institutions. Vincent Ocaya Orach, the executive director of Alur Kingdom, described the collaboration as a way to strengthen the collective effort to support women and girls in the region.
MEMPROW has operated in several districts in the West Nile subregion for five years, focusing on issues like gender-based violence and school dropout. The organization employs various community dialogue methods to encourage families to retain girls in education. Nile Post cited regional data indicating that teenage pregnancy rates in the broader West Nile area stand at 37 percent, compared to 22.1 percent in Nebbi District. Local health officials estimated that defilement contributes to nearly half of these pregnancies. Following the event, MEMPROW intends to deepen its engagement with local chiefs and elders to ensure that the initial awareness translates into long-term community action.