Brown Mbombo brings women together for Soccer Fab charity tournament

Model, entrepreneur and philanthropist Brown Mbombo is bringing women from entertainment, business and philanthropy together for a day of football, sisterhood and giving back.

Mbombo will host the Soccer Fab 5-A-Side Ladies Soccer Tournament on September 26 at the Mall of Africa Level 5 Rooftop Soccer Park in Johannesburg. The tournament will see 28 women divided into four teams Blue, Green, Red and Yellow, as they compete while raising donations for women and girls in need.

Hosted in partnership with the KwaMbombo Foundation, Happy Kidz and Frdm, the initiative carries the message: “Play. Donate. Make a Difference.”

Rather than paying a traditional entry fee, participants and spectators are encouraged to contribute toiletries and sanitary towels.

**READ: Sanitary pads support ‘instils value to humanity’ **

According to Mbombo, the event is about creating a space where women can have fun while also making a practical contribution to their communities.

“Soccer Fab is really about bringing women together in a different way. We are used to seeing women at events dressed up, networking, or supporting from the sidelines, but this time we are getting on the field, having fun, competing, and giving back at the same time,” she said.

Creating a safe space for women

The event also comes amid ongoing conversations about women’s safety and violence against women in South Africa.

Mbombo said she wanted Soccer Fab to create an environment where women could enjoy movement and community without constantly worrying about their safety.

“As women, we are constantly being told to look after our bodies, to exercise, to go for a run, to go for a walk, to take care of ourselves. But how many women can honestly say they feel completely safe doing those simple things?” she said.

“Sometimes a woman wants to put on her running shoes and go for a jog, but she is thinking about the street she is going to run on, who might be behind her, what time she will be home and whether someone will get to her before she gets home.”

Mbombo said the tournament is intended to give women a few hours to “play, laugh, sweat, compete and support each other”, while remembering women whose lives have been affected or lost through violence.

“I wanted us to have a day where women could come together and feel safe, free, to play, laugh, sweat, compete and support each other,” she said.

“But I also want us to remember the women who don’t have that freedom, and the women whose lives have been changed or lost because of violence.”

From a fun day to a bigger purpose

Soccer Fab started as what Mbombo describes as a Brown Fun Day, a casual gathering where she and her friends played soccer. The growing interest from spectators eventually prompted her to turn the event into an opportunity to support disadvantaged children. Instead of simply watching, spectators were encouraged to bring sanitary pads to donate.

“The response was beautiful, and that’s when I realised Soccer Fab could be about so much more than just soccer,” she said.

The initiative is particularly personal for Mbombo and her sister, Blue Mbombo, who grew up in a single-parent household. Mbombo said their childhood experiences showed them how difficult it could be for families to afford basic necessities such as soap and sanitary products.

READ: No child should be shamed due to poverty

“Things like soap, sanitary pads, and other toiletries may seem small to some people, but for a child who needs to bathe and get ready for school, they are necessities,” she said.

The winning team will have the opportunity to decide where the donated sanitary towels and toiletries will go, including the charity or community and province they want to support.

At the previous Soccer Fab, the winning team chose the Free State, where donations were distributed to four schools. For Mbombo, that element gives participants an opportunity to support communities that have personal meaning to them. She hopes the women taking part leave with a sense that the day’s impact extends beyond the football pitch.

“More than anything, I hope they leave knowing that what we did that day was bigger than the final score,” she said.

“I also want the women to see that giving back doesn’t always have to feel serious or complicated. We can laugh, compete, build friendships and have the best time while still doing something meaningful.”

Subscribe To Our Newsletter