SPORTS, PLAY AND LEADERSHIP

The playfields at the Girls Foundation have hosted many spirited games since the campus opened at the beginning of 2025. 

All photos courtesy of The Girls Foundation of Tanzania.

Sports and play can be as important in developing confidence and leadership as studies in the classroom. Executive Director of the Girls Foundation of Tanzania, Dr. Estahappy Mariki, is an Accredited Coach with Coaches Across Continents (https://coachesacrosscontinents.org/), an alliance across six continents “to create sustainable, community led change using Purposeful Play.”

TGFT staff members Freddy, Hellen, Neema, and Grace wear many hats, including those of Community Impact Coaches. With Estahappy, they recently led a Coach Education Program for 19 coaches and teachers from seven partner and non-partner organizations in Arusha that will reach an estimated 6,000+ young people.

Sometimes, it’s just a pickup game of local children, who relish the chance to play off the streets—and dream of their future.