ALIZA Hussein is on a mission to empower more girls in Fiji to fulfil their dreams rather than restricting themselves to the four walls of the house.
Hussein is a football player who is trying to break the stigma that girls cannot match boys in any field of work.
She comes from Yalalevu, a farming community in the football crazy town of Ba. Hussein, 17, is competing in the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu with a strong message to empower more girls to take up sport and to change the mentality of those people who thinks girls had to be depended on
“It is not good for the parents to keep their daughters inside the house especially the Indo-Fijian families as I believe they should be given an opportunity to fulfil their dreams,” she said.
“I am a Muslin girl and I am following my dreams. The girls are tough and if they are inspired then they can be tougher than boys.
“I urge parents to be supportive of their daughters and let them do whatever they want to do and if they are on the right path then let them be.”
Hussein is working hard to fulfil her parent’s dream of becoming a successful person in life just as any other parents who want to see their children prosper and succeed in their life.
Hussein’s father, Ali Hussein, works as a handyman for Kamil Muslim College while her mum Farzana Hussein is a cook at the school’s canteen.
“Football also makes you a good and disciplined person in life. The competition in Vanuatu is tough with the other teams and we will give our best,” she said.
“It is my first Pacific Mini Games though I have played in the OFC under-17 and under-19 competitions for Fiji earlier this year.
“Fiji is not at the top since it is not easy to play overseas teams as they are better than us.
“We have gained a lot of experience and exposure playing overseas teams and especially New Zealand as they are a very classy side.”
“New Zealand has very skillful and the players are taller than the Fijian players.”
Hussein’s football journey started just after 2010 when she used to play football with her friends at the family compound and she did not even thought that she would don the Fiji jersey.
“I played for my school team in 2013 and football was altogether a new thing for me, but slowly I embraced the sport and started liking it playing with the other girls in the team. I have been playing for Ba women’s in the domestic football competition and I am very proud from where I come from since Ba has been a champion side in Fiji,” she revealed.
“I really got inspired from the Ba men’s football team and that is one of the reasons for me to take up this sport and I am really excited at what the future holds for me in football.
“My mum and dad were very supportive of my decision to play the round ball and then from there I was chosen for the district the following year.
“My mum was a very proud person on the day she heard the news that I was going to play for Ba.”
She hopes to go back home with mission accomplished where more girls would be willing to explore their dreams of playing in many sports.
Fiji defeated Tonga 5-0 in their first match of the competition on Monday.
