Tilabilenji Mvunga grew up in Zambia in a very athletic household. Her father was a soccer player, and her mother a handball athlete. “From an early age, I had no choice but to love sports,” she says. Unfortunately, most girls in Tilabilenji’s community are discouraged from being active and participating in sports. “Girls are supposed to have chores, like helping their mother cook, clean, wash dishes, and look after other children,” she says. In Zambia it’s also often the case that not everyone in the family gets to attend school and more often than not, it’s the female child who is asked to stay home. Tilabilenji is working diligently to challenge cultural norms and empower the girls of her community through sports programming.

She is currently the site coordinator for Sport in Action, an NGO that uses sport to teach life skills and educate individuals living with HIV. She also coaches the under-16 co-ed National Volleyball Team. Tilabilenji wants to use her positions as coach and site coordinator to increase the number of women and girls playing sports in her local community and educate them to make smarter decisions with their bodies.