Mariam Mell’osiime Mpaata
Mariam is an award-winning Sports Activist. She has founded several football initiatives such as Afrika Sports Foundation Center in Uganda, Junior Stars Youth Development Programme, Mombasa Kenya. Since 2008, when her then six-year-old son broke a windscreen of a neighbour’s Mercedes Benz with his football, Mariam took it up herself to set up safe spaces and events where youth can enjoy the sport without worry of destruction. Mariam has since influenced and inspired over 70,500 youth and women to take on football and other sports for social and economic empowerment within the East Africa Region. She holds an MBA in Sports Management from Real Madrid Graduate School, a BA in Development Studies from Makerere University and Higher Diploma in Counselling Studies from Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors. She is the current incoming President of Rotary Club of Mombasa 2020/2021, Mariam is also an upcoming author of a football memoir, a documentary and is a published poet.
Awards and achievements:
- Host, Global Goals World Cup East Africa Uganda, 2020
- Top 100 Most influential Muslims in Kenya 2019
- Nominated for Africa’s Most Influential Women Awards by CEO Global South Africa 2019.
- Sports Heroine – Women Award of the Year, Coast Woman Magazine Kenya 2019.
- Sports Champion, Mombasa County 2018
- Listed among excelling women in Africa by Leading Ladies Africa in 2017
- Named among the 34 most talented Kenyan women by Lionesses of Africa in 2016
- Top 30 Under 40 Muslim Women, Kenya 2016
- Top 40 Under 40 Women, Business Daily Kenya 2014
- Sports personality of the year – Diva Awards, Mombasa 2011
