Quantitative evidence for the benefits of Moving the Goalposts in Kenya

Sport for Development has many reported benefits, but quantitative evidence of the impact of theseinterventions in Low Income Countries remains sparse. Using a new monitoring and evaluation toolkit, this paper is a cross-sectional survey at Moving the Goalposts (MTG), a football project aiming to empower young Kenyan women.

We wished to determine empirically whether increased membership durationbrought increased benefits. MTG selected and translated toolkit items consistent with the organisation’sstrategic aims. We collected 333 completed questionnaires at 15 sites.

Psychometric validation revealedsome reliable scales; remaining items were scored separately. Scores were sensitive to differencesbetween members defined by sociodemographic and site characteristics. Bivariate and multipleregression analyses showed that increased membership duration brought increasing benefits acrossseveral domains (perceived lifeskills; social life; insights about HIV/AIDS; outcomes related to femaleempowerment).

Improved leadership skills were mainly age-related. Members attending moreestablished sites experienced greater benefits, but members at more and less accessible sites benefittedsimilarly. Positive thoughts and feelings were related not to membership duration, but to how long a sitehad been operating. This indicates the importance of creating a positive culture over time.

This crosssectionalstudy provides quantitative evidence for the benefits of Sport for Development initiatives.

This research will soon be available for download from this page

Key Links