Tackling Barriers, Building Futures

Caption: Girls from J607N Little Sports Organisation Kenya build confidence and community at weekend rugby training. They’ve since won the Kenyan Primary School Nationals and every girl has secured a full boarding scholarship to a National School.

On a rugby field in Kenya, a group of girls in mismatched jerseys run, laugh, and push themselves to their limits. For many, this is more than a game. It is a rare chance to step outside the boundaries that poverty and cultural expectations often place around them.

These girls are part of the J607N Little Sports Organisation Kenya project. What started as weekend rugby training has grown into something much bigger: a place where young women discover strength, resilience, and hope for the future.

Rugby is not a sport typically associated with Kenyan girls, but LSO saw an opportunity. By introducing them to a game that demands teamwork, courage, and perseverance, they created a pathway for empowerment. Every girl is now enrolled in the Rugby PATHWAYS program, which has helped them train consistently, grow in skill, and develop the confidence to dream bigger.

The results have been extraordinary. Each girl worked tirelessly, becoming an elite grassroots player and earning a full boarding scholarship to a National School. Together, they went on to win the Kenyan Primary School Nationals and are now the current U16 National Champions. Several of these young women are even up for selection to the Kenyan National U18 team, a remarkable achievement for girls who once had little hope of finishing their education.

For their families, these victories mean far more than trophies. Education brings safety, dignity, and the possibility of a future filled with choices that were once out of reach. The rugby field has become the launch pad for new lives of promise and opportunity.

At GDG, this is exactly the kind of project we get excited about. LSO’s commitment to using sport as a tool for transformation is opening doors that once seemed firmly closed. The rugby field may be their starting point, but the impact stretches far beyond the try line.

This is a great project because it shows what can happen when young people are given the chance to thrive. With just a ball, a field, and dedicated mentors, lives are being changed in powerful ways. It is the kind of story that reminds us why development work matters, and why your support makes such a difference.