‘Barbra Banda Foundation to inspire the girl-child’

MICHAEL MIYOBA writes @SunZambian ZAMBIA national women’s team captain Barbra Banda says her newly launched Barbra Banda Foundation will uplift, protect and inspire a girl-child on a path to success. Speaking during the launch at Bauleni United Sports Academy in Lusaka, on Tuesday Banda who excused herself from the Shepolopolo camp to launch her academy, […]

‘Barbra Banda Foundation to inspire the girl-child’
MICHAEL MIYOBA writes @SunZambian ZAMBIA national women’s team captain Barbra Banda says her newly launched Barbra Banda Foundation will uplift, protect and inspire a girl-child on a path to success. Speaking during the launch at Bauleni United Sports Academy in Lusaka, on Tuesday Banda who excused herself from the Shepolopolo camp to launch her academy, said the Foundation will aim to support programmes that promote empowerment for women and girls. Banda plays for Shanghai FC in China and said she aims to use sports to empower and educate girls on economic inequality, gender-based violence, lack of access to equal opportunities, teenage pregnancies, and early marriages. “Like many, I did not come from a place of abundance and hence I understand what it means to need help and no one willing to help you. I have also experienced how much easier life gets when you have people ready to help you on your path to success. “With the formation of this foundation, we aim to support programmes that promote empowerment for women and girls,” Banda said. “In line with this, we have organised a football tournament with Bauleni United Sports Academy (BUSA) which will take place over two weekends, this week and next week.” Meanwhile, Banda hailed her former clubs Bauleni United Sports Academy and Green Buffaloes which are among the participating teams in the eight-team tournament, for grooming her into a professional player. And BUSA founder and Banda’s former coach Kaluba Kangwa hailed the Shepolopolo star for being determined and focused to contribute to changing the lives of the girl-child through sports. Kangwa said what Banda has done is historical in Zambia because no active footballer has ever thought of establishing a foundation which most players think of when they retire from active football.