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The
Search and Groom partnership with Europe-based GLEN continued on
Wednesday at the Ikeja Sports Centre with a two-hour football clinic.
The session was facilitated by Helen Schonbrodt and Lenka Schropferova,
both interns, with the European body.

This was a clinic
for girls between the age of six and eighteen and 24 ladies presented
themselves at the session. It consisted of various drills and
exercises. There was also a 15-minute question and answer session at
the end, which dwelled mainly on future perspectives for the ladies.

Helen and Lenka
have an initiative called ‘FEMPOWER’ – which primarily helps women kick
away the boundaries that have held them down due to the societal and
cultural values.

Some of the
participants expressed satisfaction with the output of the facilitators
and expressed interest in being part of the last session that will be
held on Friday before the two European ladies take their bow.

Helen said: “We had two on two sessions and also matches that involved five players a-side.

It was interesting
and we also talked to the ladies on making sure that they do their
home-works. Education is very important even if they are to pursue a
football career.

“All in all it has
been a fruitful three months and we expect to be back next May to
continue. At that time we will be taking some of the more skilled girls
back to Germany for competitions and if they do very well, they will
have the opportunity of being attached to various clubs.”

In need of sponsorship

But there was a
caveat to all of this – ‘FEMPOWER’ will need a lot of sponsorships and
Helen and Lenka are hoping that some Nigerian companies will see the
value in this initiative and chip in.

Yomi Kuku, director
of Search and Groom said the ladies have contributed positively to
Nigeria in their three-month stay in the country.

“They have been
excellent in their relationship with our people and with the kids and
we will love to have them back. It has been three months of hard work
and I must confess, these ladies have not shirked any situation. They
have gone about their jobs with smiles on their faces. It will be
wonderful to get some companies to support this as it will help elevate
some of our young girls who are interested in making football a
career.”

The last clinic by the duo will hold tomorrow at Ikeja Sports Centre from 9am. The ladies will be leaving Nigeria on Sunday.