When Power Community Ltd was approached in 2013 to help the City of Port Adelaide and Enfield tackle social issues in the north-western suburb of Kilburn, few could have anticipated the journey that it would take both the club and the community on.

With an aim to break down social barriers and eradicate anti-social behaviours, PCL created a football and cultural awareness program that saw the local African and Afghan communities embrace the Kilburn Football Club based in Blair Athol.

Under the direction of AFL Australia Post Multicultural Ambassador Alipate Carlile and team coach Mal Thiel, a number of female teenagers from the local area took up the invitation to come and try Australian Football, leading to an under-16 girls team being entered in the local girls football competition.

In 2014, the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion provided funding to run a complementary program that would build upon the girls football skills to transition them into leadership, employment and educational opportunities.  

Though increased physical activity was a key initiative of the program, Power Community Ltd's second aim through the program was to prepare these girls to find employment opportunities that would enable them to continue their football experience without external support.

Later partnering with Coles, Power Community Ltd was able to transition a third of the girls into casual jobs.

Thanks to the YWCA, four girls also had the opportunity to participate in Youth Parliament - a potential SACE unit which asks participants to identify an issue relevant to their community and prepare a Bill to go before parliament.

For a number of African girls from the Kilburn community, political enfranchisement in their country of origin is rare, particularly those affected by civil war and internal conflict.

Two members of the program represented South Australia in the Under-16 Girls National Carnival held in Sydney, which was hugely successful in terms of positioning Australian Football as a multicultural sport.

In 2015, Kilburn will register an under-16 Girls Team for the third consecutive year, which is expected to pick up an even greater number of local multicultural youth.

PCL wishes to thank the Department of Communities and Social Inclusion for backing this program, in addition to other valuable support partners.