Some beneficiaries of the initiative
After nearly four years behind bars, Marie has found hope through football. Held at the Freetown Female Correctional Centre in Sierra Leone, she joined the first-ever coaching course for female inmates, organised by the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
Part of the Football for Reform initiative, the eight-day course saw 26 women and five police officers trained, earning Caf-accredited D licences to coach grassroots football.
“I’m proud to get my certificate,” said Marie, whose real name is withheld. “With this, I want to get a job.”
The programme, pioneered by former Sierra Leone Football Association president Isha Johansen, was inspired by her visit to the prison. “Ninety percent of the women were there for petty crimes,” she said. “I had to make a change—and football was the tool I had.”
Now spreading across the continent, with courses in Ghana and Liberia, the initiative is helping women reclaim their futures—one kick at a time.