In the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, where sport is a lifeline for many communities, football has emerged as a powerful force for good. At the heart of this story is Nthona, a passionate advocate within the Olympic Movement, who emphasizes the unique role football can play in promoting the Olympic Values of excellence, respect, and friendship. With its unmatched global reach, football offers a platform to teach these values and inspire meaningful change, particularly among young people.
Lesotho’s role in the “football for good” movement is significant, as it is the birthplace of Kick4Life FC—an organization that pioneered the use of football to address social challenges such as health education, gender equality, and youth empowerment. This legacy positions Lesotho as a small country with an outsized impact on how the beautiful game is being used to transform lives worldwide.
In this article, Nthona shares her insights on how football and the Olympic Movement can work together to instill crucial life lessons and empower future generations. Her work highlights the potential of sport to unite communities, break down barriers, and turn shared ideals into lasting impact.
Bonito: Football is the biggest sport in Lesotho- tell us a bit about the football culture in Lesotho?
Nthona Tsoanyane: Lesotho football is made up of strong local football structures with various clubs competing in the Premier League and lower divisions. There are clubs like Lioli FC, Bantu FC, and Matlama FC which are the most popular and have rich histories of success. The most crowd-pulling matches are experienced between these clubs, particularly the big derby games, creating a festive atmosphere in the stadiums.
Majority of the young people aspire to play professional sport, and in almost every community there is a football club which nurtures talent at a young age. My country has seen the critical role played by football and other sports where social cohesion became a way of life bringing together families, friends and neighboring communities.
To date the culture of football in Lesotho faces significant challenges including lack of resources (infrastructure and funding) and development programmes as compared to the neighboring Countries . But the commitment and passion to football still remains within the Basotho societies.
Bonito: Football has a unique ability to connect with people across cultures and backgrounds. In your view, why does the game resonate so deeply with such a diverse audience worldwide?
Nthona Tsoanyane: Football is one of the easiest and flexible sports to play or engage people in as well as very budget friendly in terms of the equipment used. This says that people of all ages and ethnic origins can have equal access to the opportunity to engage through football. I have personally seen young people make it to the international podium because of their skills and talent and this further justifies how powerful football is in terms of fostering a sense of global community.
Bonito: Can you tell us a bit about your work as a Safeguarding Lead at the Lesotho Olympic Committee? How in practice do you ensure safeguarding across your programs?
Nthona Tsoanyane: In my role as Safeguarding Lead, I am responsible for creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone involved in sports activities. This includes designing and delivering tailored safeguarding training for staff, volunteers, coaches, administrators, and other stakeholders. I provide education on safeguarding best practices to ensure that all individuals, particularly children and vulnerable groups, are protected from abuse and exploitation.
I also serve as the main point of contact for safeguarding concerns, where I address issues and link victims to the appropriate authorities and support services. This involves not only managing safeguarding concerns but also capacitating coaches, administrators, and Executive Board Members on safeguarding policies and procedures to create a more protective environment within the sports community.
Bonito: What important work! You also wear a few other hats in the organization- can you tell us about that?
Nthona Tsoanyane: Thats true, my title is Head of Programs, and I design and deliver a wide range of educational and community engagement initiatives. A key focus of my work is to promote gender equality in sports, ensuring that both men and women have equal opportunities and representation in sports. I lead initiatives that aim to empower young boys and girls in schools through economic strengthening activities and sports-based initiatives, which foster leadership, teamwork, and resilience.
I also work on social issues such as sexual and reproductive health rights and comprehensive sexuality education, particularly among young people involved in sports. Through tailored educational programs, I engage various youth clusters—both in and out of schools—on these important topics, helping to create healthier, more informed communities.
Another area of my work involves orphans and vulnerable children. I design and implement programs that use sports as a tool to educate and empower these children, both inside and outside of their care facilities. These programs focus on personal development, building life skills, and providing a safe space for these children to thrive.
Additionally, I have designed mentorship programs for young women in sports, paired with their male counterparts, to foster collaboration, confidence, and leadership in a male-dominated field. These mentorship programs focus on personal and professional growth, leadership, and empowering young women to take on roles of influence within the sporting community.
Bonito: Football and the Olympic movement isn’t always such an obvious connection to people. When it comes to grassroots programs that you are running, what role does football have as the most popular global sport?
Nthona Tsoanyane: In the context of Lesotho, where football may not always be perceived as directly connected to the Olympic movement and where there is little connection between the two bodies, football plays a crucial role in grassroots programs by leveraging its status as the world’s most popular sport to engage and inspire young people. Despite challenges, football’s global appeal provides a unique platform to promote various values and messages that align with the goals of the Olympic movement, particularly in terms of inclusivity, equality, and empowerment.
As stated earlier, it is the language that is understood by many people whether young or old, it is a perfect tool for engaging young people in grassroot programmes regardless of their socio-economic status, it connects every community, town and nation together. This makes it a powerful tool to promote Olympic Values of Friendship, Respect and Excellence.
Furthermore, one of the priorities of the Olympic Movement is promotion of Gender Equality. This is seen mostly in my country where traditional gender roles limit girls participation in sports. By using Football we can challenge these norms by giving girls and boys equal opportunities to play, compete and lead in sports.
By integrating Olympic values into football training and competitions, we continue to help young people understand the importance of perseverance, fair play, and excellence, both on and off the field. It serves as an accessible entry point for introducing the Olympic ideals. Football and sports in general is a powerful tool to drive development in different aspects.
Bonito: Reflecting on your journey in football (or sport) for social good, is there a particular moment or experience that profoundly touched you and reinforced your commitment to this work?
Nthona Tsoanyane: there have been many experiences that have profoundly touched me and reinforced my commitment to this work. One of the most memorable moments was during my time as the Safeguarding Officer at the just-ended Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Being in that role allowed me to directly contribute to the safety and well-being of athletes and participants on the world’s biggest stage, ensuring that safeguarding practices were in place for everyone involved.
The responsibility of safeguarding at such a prestigious event was both challenging and incredibly fulfilling, it highlighted the importance of creating safe environments in sport at every level, from grassroots to international competitions.
But beyond my role at the Olympics, it’s the everyday moments in the grassroots programs I run that continually reinforce my passion for using sport to drive positive social change. I have encountered countless opportunities to make a tangible impact in the lives of young people through sport. Every time following the sessions, to see young people’s faces light up , knowing that I had played a part in giving them hope for the future, is an incredibly rewarding moment. This experience, along with others, continually reinforces why I do this work. Every time I see the smile on a young person’s face, I am reminded that sport has the power to heal, to unite, and to offer hope in ways that go beyond just physical activity.
Bonito: Looking ahead, where do you see the field of football and sport for social good in general evolving in the next few years? What thematic areas will become increasingly critical, and what major challenges do you anticipate practitioners in this space in Lesotho will face?
Nthona Tsoanyane: The integration of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) into sports programming will be a key area of growth in the coming years, especially in a context like Lesotho, where access to sexual and reproductive health education can be limited. Sport provides a unique opportunity to engage young people in discussions about their bodies, relationships, and rights in a way that feels natural and engaging. In football and other sports, coaches and mentors can play a central role in delivering these messages in safe, supportive environments.
CSE in sport not only addresses issues like contraception and sexually transmitted infections but also covers themes such as consent, gender equality, and healthy relationships. Given the challenges that young people, especially girls, face in Lesotho—such as early pregnancies, gender-based violence, and limited access to education—sport can act as a crucial vehicle for empowering youth with knowledge about their rights and bodies. As more practitioners in this space recognize the potential of sport to foster open discussions around CSE, I believe that this will become a more common and necessary component of sports programming.
Traditional beliefs and societal norms can sometimes hinder open discussions about topics like gender equality and sexual health. In Lesotho, where these topics can be seen as taboo, overcoming stigma and encouraging people to embrace the value of CSE in sports will require continuous education and sensitization.
Bonito: Finally, One of the great football for good social enterprise, Kick 4 Life is from Lesotho. How have they impacted to country and how do you see partnerships between national entities like the NOC and organizations like Kick 4 Life?
Nthona Tsoanyane: Kick4Life is a truly impactful football-for-good social enterprise from Lesotho, and its contributions to the country have been transformative, particularly in how football is leveraged as a tool for social change.
Given the alignment of goals between the Lesotho NOC and Kick4Life, I believe there is significant potential for collaboration, particularly in the area of economic strengthening and youth development. The NOC’s upcoming SESLA (Sport and Economic Strengthening for Lesotho’s Adolescents) project presents an excellent opportunity to leverage Kick4Life’s expertise and resources in driving positive social change. Through a potential partnership, the NOC and Kick4Life could combine their efforts to provide young people with both economic and educational opportunities, using sport as the conduit for reaching and engaging them.
Bonito: Thank you so much Nthona for joing us and giving us such a great insight into Lesotho and your work in emowering the next generation!
Nthona Tsoanyane: Thanks so much for welcoming me so warmly to the platform.