Sport has the power to transform lives. It can build confidence, develop life skills, create friendships and give children and young people a sense of belonging. But for children to experience these benefits, they must first feel safe.
Through the Safe in Sport project, Kick4Life is working to change this by helping create safe sporting environments where every child, especially girls, can participate safely, confidently and equally.
Safe in Sport is one of the wider efforts to strengthen safeguarding within sport in Lesotho. It challenges harmful gender stereotypes and cultural practices that can prevent women and girls from participating fully in sport. To do this work, Kick4Life partnered with Touch Roots Africa (TRA), a Lesotho NGO specialising in safeguarding, to develop an independent and confidential Safe in Sport Reporting Mechanism for anyone involved in sport to report abuse and access support. The mechanism was developed as part of Common Goal’s Equal Play Fund and is delivered independently by TRA.
The reporting mechanism provides a trusted, survivor-centred route for reporting concerns, offering confidential and anonymous channels, independent handling of reports and referrals to psychosocial, medical and legal support. It is designed to complement, rather than replace, the existing national safeguarding policies, procedures and reporting mechanisms and those of individual sports clubs and organisations.
For Kick4Life Community Programmes Manager, Maphoka Ramokoatsi, the importance of creating safe spaces for girls is deeply personal, as she stated, “For many girls in Lesotho, the biggest barrier to sport is not talent, but it is feeling safe enough to participate. Most parents are also hesitant to let their girl children join sports because of safety concerns. Safe in Sport has helped us level the pitch for girls to safely participate. When girls feel safe to participate, they also find their voice, build confidence and begin to believe that they belong in sport. Just like myself, I was once that girl who unleashed her potential through sport.”
Equipping People to Prevent and Respond
Through this work, Kick4Life and TRA have brought together schools, sports teams, federations, communities and government stakeholders to increase awareness of safeguarding, strengthen referral pathways and build the capacity of those responsible for creating safe sporting environments.
We held a participative workshop to develop a practical safeguarding and child protection training guide, focusing on prevention, reporting and response. Designed to be accessible and easy to understand, the guide can be used across schools, clubs, federations and organisations working with children and young people. A total of 66 participants from schools, sports clubs and federations took part in the safeguarding training.
Taking Safeguarding onto the Pitch
These safeguarding initiatives were also taken directly onto the football pitch through the Safe in Sport League that took place from March to July 2026, which brought together eight schools, namely Tsolo Government, Boitelo, Thamae, St James, Mohloli, Ratjomose, Motumi and Qoaling Primary Schools. Football was used as a platform to promote life skills, safeguarding, gender equity and the wellbeing of children and young people. Alongside football activities, participants explored themes including respect, equality, inclusion, safe relationships and the importance of speaking up when something does not feel right.
The programme demonstrated that safeguarding is not simply about policies and procedures; it is also about giving children the knowledge, confidence and space to recognise unsafe behaviour and speak up. Part of the league was a mixed-gender tournament that brought boys and girls together, helping challenge gender stereotypes and promote shared responsibility for creating safe and inclusive sporting environments. Engaging boys was particularly important because they can play a vital role in challenging harmful gender norms, promoting respect and helping create safer spaces for girls and boys both on and off the pitch.
The programme also strengthened Kick4Life’s relationships with schools and communities. Regular engagement with teachers, coaches and school representatives improved communication and reinforced the understanding that keeping children safe is a shared responsibility.
A Voice from the Pitch
Kananelo, 13, from Tsolo Government Primary School, was a participant in the Safe in Sport League and was awarded Player of the Tournament in the mixed-gender tournament at the end of the project, recognising her excellence in football and active participation in the theoretical sessions. She said: “The Safe in Sport League taught us that sport is about playing and winning. It is also about fair play, safety and caring for one another. I learned that we should treat others the way we want to be treated and that everyone has a responsibility to make a sports field a safe place. It is especially important for girls to feel safe in sports because when girls are afraid of getting hurt or facing situations that make them uncomfortable, they may choose to stop playing. We need to prevent these situations so that girls can continue playing, enjoy sport and show what they are capable of.”
Through Safe in Sport, Kick4Life is helping make safeguarding a central part of sport in Lesotho. By strengthening systems, building partnerships and creating opportunities for children to learn, participate and speak up. The project is contributing to a sporting culture where everyone can feel safe, respected and valued, because when children feel safe, they can find their voice, build confidence and discover what they are capable of, both on and off the pitch.
