Rael Lomoti quit pro football to stop girls from being sold into marriage in Kenya
Rael Lomoti walked away from the peak of professional football for a gamble that has since transformed the lives of over 4,000 girls and their families, single-handedly helping to prevent hundreds, if not thousands, of forced child marriages in her home country of Kenya. It was a radical, life-altering sacrifice that stunned friends, families, and peers, but Lomoti has never looked back, and can feel proud about putting the people of the Turkana region above any athletic trophy, she said during a recent interview at KIT Live in Amsterdam. Her journey is now the subject of the new book, Roses Will Rise.
The chilling reality driving her rebellion begins when girls are practically toddlers. "As early as 4 to 5 years. That's when they start putting you this beads on your neck and automatically when they put you this bids. It's a sign that they are preparing you for your marriage so that when you reach 12, 13, 14, they get a husband for you."
These "husbands" are typically older, polygamous men purchasing children with a bride price of livestock, effectively terminating a girl's education and autonomy before she ever enters high school, Lomoti revealed in the interview, released as an episode of the Dam Yankee podcast, out now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more services.
[Discover the moment Rael chose to walk away from her dreams at 22:19]
Lomoti herself speaks fondly of the support from her parents and her mentor even after her family relocated to Nairobi, which gave her the chance to hone her skills as an elite defensive midfielder for Gaspo FC and earn a dream ticket to play professionally in South Africa. Yet, a holiday visit back to her home region forced a devastating ultimatum: chase personal stardom and wealth abroad, or return to a marginalized, semi-arid desert to fight a lonely war against centuries of patriarchal tradition.
"But there is so many girls who I can change, and who I can sacrifice my career over them," she said, recounting the difficult crossroads. "And I went to my club. I told them, you know what, I'm not going. I want to go home and start a football club".
Armed with a degree in social work and an immense passion for the sport, she returned to Turkana in 2017 to launch Desert Roses, the region's first all-girls soccer team. She thought soccer could be the ultimate entry point to keep girls in school and delay early marriages.
[See how Rael survived the community's fierce backlash at 29:21]
The reality on the ground was incredibly harsh. When she walked onto a dusty, sun-baked field with a ball, absolutely nobody showed up. Moving from hut to hut to recruit players, she faced intense hostility from parents who viewed the project as an offensive taboo, and a drain on their households.
"They refused," Lomoti recalled of those early community engagements. "They were telling me if they go and have fun or will take care of the house chores, or will bring us more animals". The elders were adamant that girls had no business playing a boys' game.
How Lomoti spent the next three years breaking down those patriarchal walls, ultimately building an organization of 18 clubs that provides scholarships, sanitary materials, and a haven for thousands, is nothing short of miraculous. She credits her resolve to a German Dominican nun who ran the orphanage that employed her father.
It was Sister Louise who spotted a young Lomoti outplaying the local boys and brought the entire family in, providing housing, work for her father, and a robust education. The nun became a prophetic voice of sorts, emphasizing the importance of knowledge and education, Lomoti explains. "When you go back to your motherland, you will maybe advocate for the same thing," Lomoti recalled Sister Louise's encouraging words.
[Hear Rael's story about life in the orphanage in Nairobi at 16:40]
The biography, Roses Will Rise, was authored by Nicera Kimani and Marc Broere. The international English version is being sold for 40 euros, with a discounted e-book also available. Rael Lomoti posts updates on Facebook.
This full episode of Dam Yankee can be seen on YouTube, or listen to the Dam Yankee on all major podcast platforms. The interview was organized with the assistance of Isabelle Vermeij at the KIT Live theater at KIT in Amsterdam.
This Dam Yankee episode was sponsored by bunq, the European neobank offering a special promotional 2.51% fixed annual interest rate on a six-month term deposit through June 14, 2026. The rate is far better than most traditional Dutch retail bank savings accounts, and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Full terms and conditions apply, and the offer is valid for deposit amounts between 1,000 and 10,000 euros.