From July 22-23, 2024, FundLife, in collaboration with Cabacungan National High School and Dulag National High School, organized a two-day capacity-building workshop at Dulag National High School. The event brought together 32 youth mentors and public-school teachers and focused on the theme "Empowering Girls and Women in Sports: Advancing Safe, Inclusive, and Purposeful Play in Dulag."
The training is part of the Girls Got This initiative, aimed at providing play and learning support to 200 highly vulnerable adolescent girls in Dulag. FundLife's commitment to advancing girls and women's empowerment through sports and education was a central focus of the event.
The workshop aimed to equip educators, community leaders, and youth mentors with the necessary knowledge and skills to create more inclusive and equitable environments for girls and women in sports. Participants engaged in various activities to foster a shared understanding of gender equality, the importance of safeguarding, and the benefits of purposeful play.
The first day of the workshop featured fun activities facilitated by Mariella Yman and Jia Mae Del Rio, FundLife Youth Mentors. This was followed by sessions on the basics of football and futsal, led by Senior Coach Daryl and Junior Coach Lyra. The coaches provided an overview of the history and equipment used in both sports, followed by hands-on practice sessions where participants learned basic skills and participated in friendly matches. These activities emphasized the importance of safe sports practices and the critical role of safeguarding in gender-sensitive programming.
Kimberly Lopez, FundLife's Head of Operation, introduced the concept of "purposeful play," a teaching strategy that integrates enjoyable and meaningful play experiences with educational goals. To illustrate this approach, participants engaged in a game called "Money Management," where they used futsal equipment to simulate budgeting and financial decision-making. The activity underscored the potential of sports to teach life skills and promote holistic development.
On the second day, Julie Ruth Martija, a Social Work Officer from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Dulag, led a session on "Introduction to Gender and Gender Equity." The session explored the differences between sex and gender, as well as topics like gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The discussion also addressed the challenges of achieving gender inclusivity in various settings, encouraging participants to reflect on their roles in fostering gender equality in their communities.
The workshop concluded with a problem-solving activity facilitated by Maria Victoria Basilia-Yee, FundLife's Stakeholder Engagement Officer, and Ma. Ivy Lacbayen, a youth mentor from FundLife, features exercises like the "Problem Tree" and "How Might We" methods. Participants identified root causes and underlying factors contributing to issues affecting girls and non-binary individuals, brainstorming solutions to create safer and more inclusive environments.
"The training was fun. We learned a lot about FundLife and the potential of football and futsal to protect and empower girls and gender minorities, especially with the current protection issues that are hindering the participation and development of young girls,'' said Jacqueline, one of the local youth mentors in Dulag.
This capacity-building workshop not only strengthened the participants' understanding and skills but also prepared them to successfully implement the Girls Got This project in Dulag. By empowering these educators and youth mentors, FundLife has ensured that the project will be led by informed and motivated individuals ready to champion gender equality and inclusion in their schools and communities.
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