Uganda: Ker Alur Uses Girls' Football to Tackle Teenage Pregnancy
The Ker Alur Kingdom is turning to girls' football to challenge teenage pregnancy, child marriage and other barriers that limit girls' opportunities, with three county teams set to compete in the fifth edition of the Queen Mother's Cup on Saturday.
The tournament, known as Kopu P'min Ubimu (Cup of Ubimu's Mother), will take place at Nyaravur Primary School playground in Nyaravur-Angal Town Council, Nebbi District, bringing together teams from Okoro County in Zombo District, Padyere County in Nebbi and Jonam County in Pakwach.
The competition follows last year's edition at Bar Okoro, where Okoro County emerged champions.
The Queen Mother's Cup is the girls' football counterpart of Kopu P'ubimu, the kingdom's established boys' football tournament. It was introduced to expand girls' participation in sport and give them a platform to demonstrate their abilities.
Best Ayiorwoth, the Ker Alur Kingdom Youth Team Leader, said the competition was established to promote inclusion, particularly because girls had limited opportunities to participate in the boys' tournament.
"Kopu P'min Ubimu, the Queen Mother's Cup, was instituted to foster inclusivity. Girls had limited involvement, especially in the Kopu P'ubimu, which was majorly boys' football," she said.
Ayiorwoth said the kingdom chose football rather than netball to give girls an opportunity to participate in the sport traditionally associated with boys.
"As Alur Kingdom, we value girls and consider gender. That is why we considered girls' football instead of netball. From the first edition to the fourth, and now the fifth edition, girls get a platform to showcase their talent and ability, but above all, do what boys can do," she said.
Beyond competition, the tournament is designed to raise awareness of issues affecting girls and young women.
Previous editions have carried messages such as "Books Before Babies" and "Ending Child Marriage". This year's theme, "Kick Barriers: Girls Football for Leadership, Health and Rights", focuses on expanding girls' opportunities and promoting their wellbeing.
Teenage pregnancy and school dropout remain concerns for communities in Greater Nebbi, making the tournament an opportunity to connect sport with discussions about girls' education, health and rights.
Kennedy Anena, the Nebbi District Sports Officer, said the annual event provides a platform for communicating messages relevant to the community.
"Kopu P'min Ubimu has been annually organised to pass important messages. Those are important messages for our people of Alur. As the sports and education department, we are very privileged and ready to host the event," he said.
The Ker Alur Kingdom is working with the Mentoring and Empowerment Programme for Young Women (MEMPROW), a feminist organisation established in 2008 that supports adolescent girls and young women through leadership development, sexual and reproductive health programmes, economic empowerment and efforts to address gender-based violence.
The partnership has also brought attention to safe participation in sport, with organisers seeking to create an environment where girls can develop their talents without discrimination.
"MEMPROW has been one of the long-term partners of Ker Alur. This time, they decided to support us through girls' football," Ayiorwoth said.
Stella Oyungrwoth, a programme officer at MEMPROW in Nebbi, said the initiative seeks to challenge negative attitudes towards girls in sport while developing their confidence and teamwork.
"We have always promoted talent in the girl child to counter negative beliefs about girls. We believe that this will foster discipline, teamwork and resilience in girls to challenge negative beliefs about girls and sports," she said.
Oyungrwoth said the partnership was also intended to promote a safe environment in which girls' rights are respected and they have opportunities to develop their potential.
"Our partnership with Ker Alur is to have a safe agenda on how girls can thrive in our community just like the boys. We have created a safe environment for girls where their rights are respected and they are given equal opportunities to achieve their full potential," she said.
Saturday's competition will feature Okoro County from Zombo, Padyere County from Nebbi and Jonam County from Pakwach.
Okoro enter the tournament as defending champions after beating Padyere in last year's final at Bar Okoro. The hosts will be seeking to reclaim the title, while Jonam will be aiming to upset the two sides.
Last year, the kingdom organised three sporting competitions: Kopu P'min Ubimu for girls' football, Kopu P'ubimu for boys' football and Kopu P'nyamin Ubimu for girls' netball.
The kingdom also invited participants from the Alur community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although they did not attend.
As the teams return to the pitch at Nyaravur, organisers hope the competition will do more than produce a champion.
By combining sport with messages on leadership, health and rights, the Queen Mother's Cup seeks to give girls greater visibility and challenge beliefs that restrict their participation in community life.
Read the original article on Nile Post.