I SEE LIFE IN A DIFFERENT WAY. EVERYTHING THAT I DO NOW IS BECAUSE OF FOOTBALL. JEAN SSENINDE, Football Player Uganda Women’s National Team & Crystal Palace L.F.C.

Upon joining Common Goal in October 2017, the player for the Uganda Women’s National Team and Crystal Palace L.F.C. sent off her number 6 Uganda football shirt. It arrived at the streetfootballworld offi ce together with a hand-written note: “It’s Jean Sseninde here. Am so happy to be a part of Common Goal and am ready to help change the world for the better. With love and care, Jean Sseninde.” She sits down to talk with streetfootballworld about her own personal football journey, the sacrifi ces she has made along the way, and how the beautiful game has motivated her to inspire and aid others.

AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW JEAN SSENINDE, COMMON GOAL MEMBER IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW Jean Sseninde

When the Defender for Crystal Palace Ladies and the Ugandan Women’s National Team publicly tires me out, but everything has that I’ve seen, the fight for the a difference to so many others. announced that she was pledging % of her salary to the Common Goal movement, it wasn’t her first been so worth it. women’s game, the fight for And this time I wasn’t changing foray into the world of football for good. Already in 2006 she established the ‘Sseninde Foundation’ women’s equality, the fight people’s lives in just Uganda, and, two years ago, she began staging the annual tournament ‘Sseninde Women’s Development What makes it worth the for togetherness – that has but the whole world. Cup’, both with a particular focus on empowering young girls and women. How does Common Goal sacrifice? created a passion in me to be complete the picture? What motivates the softly spoken 25-year-old to aim high on and off the Football has made me learn a part of that. I wanted to be How did your family and pitch? Why does she feel compelled to continuously and increasingly give back? Jean speaks about lessons along the way. It’s given a part of a society that works others around you react to you the sacrifices she has made to pursue her dream of a professional football career, how the beautiful me that passion and desire to towards inspiring other people joining Common Goal? game has inspired her to make a difference to the lives of others and explains that team play keep going, yearning for the and showing that everything is My family is really happy transcends everything she does. opportunities for ways I can possible, it’s just about acting for me and I am the only make a difference. on what we say. I think that is footballer back home. They From the moment I left what triggered me to start the are overwhelmed by all these home I knew that it was up to foundation and the tournament things happening, because me to make everything work, as well: being a footballer here. last year when I was going to because I had left so much at do the tournament, Juan Mata home. I wasn’t going to let that was kind enough to support, so slip away. I had to work hard and they were overwhelmed, they see how far I can go in football. couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t just my family but, I would say, the Your parents weren’t always whole country. It’s incredible. so enthusiastic about you becoming a footballer. Did Leaving your home country to they have other plans for your pursue a career in professional future career? football, establishing your Sure (smiles). I wanted to do own foundation and football Sport Sciences at University, tournament, joining the but my mum was like: ‘You’re Common Goal movement. supposed to do Human Resource The list of your achievements Management’. I’m sure it’s doesn’t end there and is because she wanted the best for already impressive. What are me just like every parent. Seeing your hopes and dreams for what has happened to me football- what is still to come? wise, she’s seen that I’ve had to Football-wise I would say that fight for it and it’s paid off in the I haven’t really achieved my end, so she’s supportive now. dreams yet. I haven’t yet got that many trophies, but it’s Aside from being a player, given me so much more. It You recently said that: What – or who – first instilled A-Levels there wasn’t even a you became engaged in makes me appreciate the game “Football is more than just sparked your passion for the girls’ team so, together with a humanitarian work. What I think there wasn’t any other a lot more being in the game. a game. It is a way for us to beautiful game? group of the others, I set one made you decide to establish female Ugandan player playing Besides currently doing my express ourselves.” What does When I was eight years old my up. When then opportunity later the Jean Sseninde Foundation outside of Uganda then and I UEFA B licence in coaching on football enable you to express brother – he was really good came to go to the UK, I knew I and to initiate the ‘Sseninde was kind of the first one back bursary with the FA, I would say that isn’t possible off the at football – would play and had to take it. Women’s Development Cup’? home, so it’s more to give the joining Common Goal is like a pitch? I would have a go and play How did that come about? girls hope. That all triggered me dream come true in its own way. I see life in a different way. with him. I started football At only 17 years of age, it must I came over to the UK when I off wanting to do this more and Being on a team with players Everything that I do now is because of him. I took it on have been hard. was 17 and I left my friends, more and seeing the smiles on that you’ve dreamt of seeing because of football. I feel like professionally, he didn’t. I’ve Taking the big step to come to I left my family, I kind of left the girls’ faces gives me joy. as a young kid, you literally everything I do now is kind always had the desire to play England wasn’t easy because everything I knew and I took the just saw them on TV one time, of connected to football. It’s ever since then. I was just 17 and I missed my risk to come here on my own Last year, you decided to join and then you’re on the same because of the decisions I family. I had to make sacrifices but I had the dream that maybe the Common Goal movement… team. I think that, for me, is a took. I feel like, for me, staging How did you make the step for the game. I think that made if I do it then other people will What sparked your decision? very big thing. I think it shows the tournament, having the from playing for fun to me realise that football is more look up to me and see that When I saw Common Goal for how the power of football can foundation, it’s a way of becoming a professional? than just a game. It makes things are possible. It was more the first time on Instagram change lives. Because, at one expressing myself and it’s all Back home in Uganda, women’s people do so much more than about giving hope to other it triggered off something, time I was in Uganda without happened because of football... football hadn’t reached the top just playing on the pitch. I young girls and boys to believe because the description in the hope and now we could give Everyone who can’t talk, level yet, so I didn’t really have started this journey a long way in their dreams and actually bio already showed me that this hope together with so many everyone who is black or white the opportunity when I was back in high school where I had go for them. Getting here to is a movement that I want to be idols of mine and we are on the or disabled gets the chance to younger to have top quality to fight to start a girls’ football the UK I got opportunities to a part of. This time, I didn’t have same team. So, I think that, for play. It’s a way they can show coaches, like I maybe would team and it’s just so many play for Phoenix, for Queen’s to do things alone, I could be now, is enough because football how happy football can make have had had I grown up in the personal sacrifices that I’ve Park Rangers and now Crystal part of a group of people and has given me that. It has given them. UK. In high school during my had to make. So, sometimes it Palace and also the exposure then – together – we could make me the opportunity to be able IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW Jean Sseninde

to change other people’s lives to say out this speech for people the fact that when you joined while being part of a team. to hear’. I just said it casually Common Goal you were Let’s say with the and I wrote down the speech already active in the field of foundation or the tournament – two, three years ago and, there football for good through for the last two years we’ve had I was, having the opportunity your foundation and football eight teams – but I always say with FIFA and I was like, ‘Wow, tournament: What’s driving that, regardless of how many how is this possible?’ So that you to give back so much? girls come to participate in the has been such a highlight for Again, because it’s always about tournament, it’s about that me this year because it was one changing other people’s lives one person whose life changes of the biggest opportunities and also showing an example. because sometimes you can’t with football I had ever had. It’s Sometimes, if you do it then change everyone’s life in a day, also a chance for everyone else other people will end up doing but one person can always be following my journey to see that it. So it’s about setting the blessed with that one action on dreams can come true, your example, setting the pace for that day. I do everything because life can change and sometimes others to follow. It’s also about it’s about that one person whose it doesn’t have to be all about the passion of being part of a life changes on that day. It’s you, it can be to inspire or team like Common Goal. I mean, about that one person who gets to teach other people or to who wouldn’t want to be a part a smile on that day. For me, it show them we can be so much of the team? (smiles) For me, makes everything worth it. more than be on the football with Common Goal there was field. Sometimes, if you’re not no second guessing, it was like What was the last thing that successful on the field you can the puzzle had clicked into place changed your own life a little still be successful off the field. It when I heard about Common bit, that made you smile? doesn’t make you a failure. Goal. Regardless of how much I Having Jürgen (Griesbeck) am earning I would always want message me about the FIFA At the FIFA Conference for to be part of it. opportunity (editor’s note: Jean Equality and Inclusion you If I am remembered or not Sseninde was recently invited to were introduced as a strong one day, I just want to change speak on the panel at the FIFA advocate for the Women’s so many other people’s lives Conference for Equality and Game. What are the main and make sure that at least Inclusion) was a dream come issues that still need to be someone’s life changes because true in its own way, because tackled to achieve gender of whatever I did. equality and how can football help in doing so? What is your message to the It’s the pay. Equal pay. I think, young girls and boys whose for now, it’s the biggest issue, lives you seek to improve? begins at home, so maybe if she have people. Football has because women don’t see the As casual as it may sound, I was a bad mother, I wouldn’t brought so much, I’ve made reason why they should play if would say: ‘Never give up’, be who I am now, so it’s one friends…it’s more so the friends they are not earning equally out because I think every day is a thing I always thank God for. and the teammates and the of it and most of them opt to day to test you so many times! She brought me up to be a good coaches. You’re never alone have second jobs and it’s quite You just have to make the person, a responsible person. with football, you always have hectic. So I think, for now, it’s choice not to look back because, The way she is, I look up to her, I someone. the equal pay and then women for me, that is one thing that want to be that kind of person, to should have a seat at the table has kept me going: having a grow up and be an example for Is that what’s so special in big decision-making. I was strong mentality. Make friends, others. My father, too, has been about football? recently watching a speech talk to a lot of people, but more very, very supportive throughout Yes, I think it is the word “a made by Meghan Markle and importantly, just never give up my whole journey. He’s always team”, because we all have she was saying: “If you’re not because every day is very tough been the one to make sure that different ideas, but when we given a seat at the table when and there is nothing you can everything is fine. He’s been come together and we share you are a woman, then you do about it and you just have to with me through the good and all our ideas, we do things should create your own table.” keep going. the bad times, sacrificed a lot for together. On the football field, So that’s what we should do. me and always been on my side. even the greatest players We should fight to have a say Who has had the most impact They have been my biggest role wouldn’t be the greatest in the decisions that are made on your own life? How did she models. players if they didn’t have great that affect all of us – men and or he shape you? defenders, great midfielders women. If we never get the Right now I keep saying it was Who do you turn to for or the best goalkeeper. We all this time when I’ve had chance, we should start making my mum and dad. My mum advice today? are all what we are because different dreams in my life I our own opportunities. was a politician back home and You know being in the UK – of somehow, somewhere the wrote down a speech and I said seeing her and the challenges alone – has been a challenge, people who were part of us in to myself, ‘One day I’m going to In the face of this pay she was going through really but I have my teammates. I our lives: I would say it is about have a big crowd and I’m going disparity, but also considering inspired me. They say charity think with football you always being a team.