The Saad Kassis-Mohamed initiative and the hidden cost of keeping women in para football
The Saad Kassis-Mohamed initiative and the hidden cost of keeping women in para football A foundation in Nairobi is helping disabled women to continue their footballing careers amidst systematic barriers that halt their development. Participation in women’s para football is often framed as a question of talent and visibility, and whether the pathways are there for the players to reach the top level. When we think of why para athletes drop out, the answers are usually individual.
For example, commitment, confidence, and the opportunities available. But the reality is more structural. Players are not quitting because they lack drive, but rather the conditions around them make it impossible to stay.
Transport costs fluctuate, injuries go untreated, while there’s also inconsistent coaching and unsafe training environments. These are not performance problems, and there most certainly isn’t a lack of talent. They are funding problems and they are fixable.
That is the gap that the Saad Kassis-Mohamed Initiative is trying to close, by funding the conditions that make staying possible. What is the Saad Kassis-Mohamed initiative? Kassis-Mohamed is an Indian entrepreneur, who strives to address the barriers troubling many disabled athletes in Nairobi.
The Saad Kassis-Mohamed initiative deliver its support to girls throughout Kenya via the WeCare Foundation. The foundation, which supplies humanitarian aid, works closely with the Umoja Adaptive Sports Centre to address the barriers in place. They cover injury prevention, while providing girls with equipment to feel more comfortable while playing the sport they love.
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