Mwajuma: The Girl Who Played Soccer in Zanzibar
Together we will meet Mwajuma, a football player in Zanzibar. Becoming one of the first players in the women's soccer team allowed Mwajuma to realize her dream and get a chance to showcase her talent.
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challenge the status quo
When she returned to Chwaka, her Zanzibari village, the girls hardly played soccer. They focus on "getting married and living a normal life". So playing football seemed disrespected to her village, and although Mwajuma was often bullied and even teased as a tomboy, it didn't stop her from sticking to her dream because football made her happy.
But her choices weren't always easy. The island's Muslim faith, parents in the community and lack of support made her football career difficult. Zanzibar has few female players and a limited number of teams, which adds constraints to player diversity and talent development.
"My village didn't like what I was doing because it was against my culture. My cause was never supported, but I didn't let that stop me from continuing."
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Persist because of love
Has Mwajuma considered giving up? Of course, she thought about it. Because no one in Zanzibar can play soccer for a living, everyone felt she was wasting her time. But Mwajuma has a plan to keep her motivated. She hopes one day her team can play in Europe. With this goal, she has the drive to do anything, which is why she works hard to keep playing.
In her village, playing soccer could mean never getting married. But on the pitch as captain, it's a whole different world. Playing football, she is respected, appreciated and accepted by her teammates. Football was a silver lining to help her through her darkest times, especially when her mother, who was a staunch supporter, passed away. After losing her mother, she felt lonely without siblings, parents or friends.
Joining a football team is like choosing a new family. Not just for fun, the House of Teammates supports each other and helps each other through tough times. When she is with her team, there is no judgment or name-calling as football brings people together and, as the saying goes, "the music of the birds". As Mwajuma said, “Even though we come from different places, we all speak the same language.”
Mwajuma has traveled to many countries to compete so far, where she has made new friends and seen how other players play.
"I don't listen to what people say. Football is my choice. I will fight for it because it is my passion."
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connect online
Besides playing soccer, social media has helped Mwajuma connect with friends and build her community. When she's lonely, she plays games on her phone and shares her life via Instagram. In addition to connecting with friends, Instagram has helped her develop new skills by following other soccer players and learning from their moves. She even chatted with the daughter of legendary Argentine soccer player Maradona.
Like football, social media brings people together from all over the world.
"Social media, like Instagram, also helped me make friends and follow other footballers, which helped me develop my skills."
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lead by example
With Zanzibar not yet having a women's league, it will be difficult for Mwajuma's team to gain support. Still, as a proud Zanzibar and Tanzanian, she hopes to one day represent the country globally.
"I am proud to be an African. Because I feel peace and freedom. In Africa, I can go wherever I want."
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Zanzibar today, world tomorrow
Mwajuma firmly believes that her dream will eventually come true and that everything will happen at the right time. Despite the odds, her role is to lead by example. To show her country that football is a game where respect and honor can be earned. Playing for Zanzibar on the global stage means representing a country of 1.3 million people with the opportunity to showcase Zanzibar's charm and talent to the world.
"As for my future, I want to use my talents to teach people how to play football and then become a coach. I want to lead by example and help other people and the whole community in Zanzibar grow."
Football is a sport that means something different to every player. For Mwajuma, it means passion, family and belonging. It is also an opportunity to encourage a new generation of women to follow their dreams.
