Florence Tchuendom is a Cameroonian football coach who’s determined to use her experience to uplift others. Currently, she coaches a 13-member players men’s amputee team in Douala, Cameroon.
”What drove me to train amputees was because I was part of an association of amputees. In this association there are a lot of young people who did nothing, and I wondered what I could do to help them, since I am part of the spheres of football, I can bring them football. I’ve loved football for a long time, but I didn’t see myself coaching a football team”, she said.
A year ago, Tchuendom began training programs in a bid to engage the men amputees in sporting activities. Theophile Foguou is captain of the men’s amputee team. He said they have ”learned to live with their disability and enjoy themselves”.
“At first it was difficult, but with the magnitude and having seen here some amputees like me, I thought, it is not the end of the world because you can go there and live with your disability, because it must not be inevitable. We’ve learned to live with it, we adapt and we enjoy ourselves”, he said.
President of the club, Minkat Eric Mathieu said it is no longer frustrating for men to be coached by a woman.
“When we put a woman at the head of the team it was to give us first this internal will to do this, because contrary to what it is, if it was a man who coached the team the guys were going to be frustrated. But from time to time she throws us little words that encourage us to move forward”, he said.
The works of Tchuendo has gradually become a source of pride and inspiration at home.
”Already in my family where there was no respect, today when I arrive everyone wants to wear my jersey, Tchuendo added.
