Matasia Starlets were crowned champions of the 2025 Season Six A Pack A Month (APAM) “I Am Priceless” Annual Tournament after edging out former champions Achievers Ladies in a tense 12–11 penalty shootout at Nakeel Stadium.
The final ended in a goalless draw after regulation time, forcing penalties in which Matasia Starlets held their nerve to dethrone the Season Five winners.
Bealine Queens finished third.
While the football delivered high drama, the tournament’s deeper significance lay off the pitch, where organisers used sport as a practical tool to address gender-based violence (GBV), promote self-worth, and create safe spaces for adolescent girls and young women.
For six years, APAM has positioned football not just as a competitive activity, but as a gateway to mentorship, protection, and social awareness.
According to Jackline Saleiyan, founder of A Pack A Month (APAM), sustained grassroots engagement is beginning to show measurable impact.
At the centre of APAM’s work is the “I Am Priceless” message, which Saleiyan says challenges harmful norms that often expose girls to abuse and exploitation.
She explained that the message is designed to remind girls that they are priceless, their worth is beyond measure, they cannot be bought, and they are worth more than gold.
Mentorship Session During the tournament with Jackline Saleiyan /COURTESY
Through structured sport, mentorship, and dialogue, participants are encouraged to reject violence, coercion, and relationships rooted in power imbalance.
The philosophy draws inspiration from Emily French, founder of The Priceless Project, whose vision is for every girl to recognise her infinite value and purpose in the world.
APAM integrates this approach to counter stigma, silence, and low self-esteem—factors that often make girls vulnerable to GBV.
Beyond awareness, the tournament also opened pathways to opportunity.
Saleiyan revealed that four players from Bealine Queens earned a chance to represent Kenya at the World Street Football event in Mexico, while several other players were scouted by established teams.
She said structured sporting programmes play a preventive role by keeping girls engaged and supported, reducing exposure to drug and substance abuse, early pregnancies, crime, idleness, and other social risks linked to violence and exploitation.
“This is about more than football. It is about protecting girls, giving them structure, confidence, and pathways to thrive — both locally and internationally,” Saleiyan said.
Abraham Chege and Brian Shikasa /COURTESY
Throughout the tournament, organisers deliberately used the platform to facilitate conversations on respect, consent, dignity, and accountability, engaging players, parents, and community leaders.
Football, APAM noted, offers a neutral and safe entry point to discuss sensitive issues that are often silenced in many communities.
The tournament was supported by Pumptech and The HELPS organisation, whose backing contributed to the organisation and professionalism of the event.
Looking ahead to 2026, APAM plans to deepen its GBV prevention work by expanding survivor safe spaces, engaging boys and young men as allies, and linking protection efforts with economic empowerment and talent development programmes for adolescent girls and young mothers.
“Ending gender-based violence and harmful social practices requires collective action. Through platforms like this tournament, we are raising voices, protecting futures, and building a generation that chooses dignity over violence,” Saleiyan added.
As the APAM Annual Tournament continues to grow, it is increasingly demonstrating how sport can move beyond competition to become a tool for prevention, protection, and empowerment—grounded in the belief that every girl is priceless.