African Road friend and supporter Kerry Rae Connolly joined in for the first working trip to East Africa of 2024. This special trip included a meaningful field dedication ceremony for the Togetherness soccer pitch. Kerry Rae met Changemakers and their communities, and witnessed the lasting impact of ongoing, relational partnership. In this latest African Road guest blog, Kerry Rae shares her experience during her time in Rwanda – watching the magic of the Togetherness pitch in action, celebrating the field dedication, witnessing the joy that the sport brings to youth, and cheering on women’s soccer teams who are making history.
What an incredible nine days!
I was absolutely delighted to be invited to accompany African Road to Rwanda for the Togetherness Field Dedication trip as a soccer ambassador.
A long-time soccer player, coach, advocate of empowering girls through soccer, and a passionate lover of the game, I have had a keen interest in the Togetherness soccer field since its inception. Knowing that the dream to have a full-size pitch on their land came directly from the kids themselves makes the story even more special to me, and I was beyond excited to see the field and meet the kids in person.
A few days later was the Togetherness soccer Field Dedication Day, and it was a resounding success. I was so grateful to be there with the community, African Road team members, and Portland Timbers representatives.
And then, just to keep things exciting, the sky opened up and a powerful thunderstorm sent everyone running for cover, laughing as we dodged the heavy raindrops. For 20 minutes the pounding rain, thunder and lightning had us wondering what would happen next, but it didn’t take long for the field to call the players back out. Of course, a little mud can’t stop kids from playing futbol!
Another soccer highlight for me was going to a Rwandan futbol match to watch GIRLS play! The whole experience was absolutely phenomenal! Rayon, the Kigali men’s club, started in 1968. But the women just formed a team three years ago — they are literally making history!
Girls wearing shorts and showing their knees, while playing a traditional men’s game, is such a new concept here. While it’s not necessarily supported by all Rwandans, it’s a clear sign of progress for gender equality, and it perfectly aligns with the Rwandan Ministry of Sport’s mission to make sport accessible to all.
The fact that men were at their club cheering for the girls team was awesome to see, and it spoke volumes about their support for women’s futbol. It was awesome to see so much talent and heart on the field. A small but mighty section of fans banged on drums and sang songs the whole match, and every time we scored (which happened often), they went wild and got even louder. It was so fun!
Our group was given seats of honor on the balcony with a perfect view of the game below. I stood the whole time because we were so excited to be experiencing the magic of girls playing futbol in Rwanda. I couldn’t stop clapping and dancing, and I was ecstatic to receive a blue Rayon team jersey! And then, when the match finished, we all went onto the field for a group photo with the team. I’m still elated from the experience and will carry the memory with me forever.
