Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya’s Slums Started A Revolution by Ellie Roscher

Thanks to Allyson Fields of  Viva Editions, I am giving away one print copy of Play Like A Girl: How A Soccer School In Kenya’s Slums Started A Revolution by Ellie Roscher.

Description of Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher

Growing up and living in Kibera, Kenya, Abdul Kassim was well aware of the disproportionate number of challenges faced by women due to the extreme gender inequalities that persist in the slums. After being raised by his aunts, mother, and grandmother and having a daughter himself, he felt that he needed to make a difference.

In 2002, Abdul started a soccer team for girls called Girls Soccer in Kibera (GSK), with the hope of fostering a supportive community and providing emotional and mental support for the young women in the town. The soccer program was a success, but the looming dangers of slum life persisted, and the young women continued to fall victim to the worst kinds of human atrocities. Indeed, it was the unyielding injustice of these conditions that led Abdul to the conclusion that soccer alone was not enough to create the necessary systemic change.

In 2006, after much work, the Kibera Girls Soccer Academy (KGSA) was established with their first class of 11 girls and 2 volunteer teachers. Today, KGSA is composed of 20 full-time staff, provides a host of artistic and athletic programs for more than 130 students annually, and continues to expand. By providing academics inside and outside of the classroom along with artistic and athletic opportunities, KGSA inspires the young women of Kibera to become advocates for change within their own communities and for Kenya as a whole.

Play Like a Girl tells the KGSA story through Abdul s voice and vision and the stories of key staff and students. It is written by Ellie Roscher who spent 2 summers doing research at KGSA and several years writing this book.

Praise for Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher

” Through these stories, we come to recognize how the human spirit will prevail. We owe a great debt to people like Abdul Kassim and his colleagues who have turned vision into reality.”-Brooks Goddard, TEAA President

“The inhabitants of Africa’s largest urban slum are often depicted with broad, incomplete brush strokes but Play Like a Girl gives us history and nuance instead. We learn the history of Kibera, its position within the larger Nairobi ecosystem, the complex list of issues that affect a girl’s ability to stay in school and about each of the students and teachers who gave so much to make KGSA a reality.”- Dani Zacarias, Director of Content at Worldreader

“Books For Africa applauds the brave girls of Kibera who used their voices and their bodies to advocate for their needs and pursue their dreams. They will be writing the story of the next generation of African youth, with all of their promise and power. We all recognize and encourage their inherent capabilities and possibilities.”- Carole Patrikakos, Deputy Director of Books For Africa

About Ellie Roscher

Ellie Roscher is an educator, writer and speaker. Her work has taken her to places like Kenya, El Salvador and Uruguay, but she currently lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons. She has a MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. For more information, please visit her website: www.ellieroscher.com or follow her on Twitter: @ellieroscher.

Giveaway of Play Like A Girl by Ellie Roscher

This giveaway is open worldwide and ends on September 15, 2017 midnight pacific time.  Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

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