Manipur Teacher Builds Football Club That Transforms Girls

In a small village in Manipur during the 1980s, political unrest was pulling young people down dangerous paths. Laibi Phanjoubam, a quiet geography teacher and her village's first female college graduate, decided to offer them something different.

She founded the Andro Mahila Mandal Association Football Club with zero football experience but plenty of determination. Her goal wasn't just to teach girls a sport but to give them a way out of lives limited by early marriage and narrow expectations.

Running a football club in remote Andro Village doesn't come with sponsors or government grants. The now-retired teacher funds AMMA FC by weaving traditional textiles and farming, pouring every rupee into training and equipment for her players.

But AMMA FC teaches more than football. Girls learn computer skills, weaving, and sericulture alongside their athletic training, building marketable skills that create real independence.

"First, learn to fend for yourself, earn money, and build an identity," Laibi tells her players. That philosophy has worked: her girls have competed across India, from Haryana to Karnataka, traveling to places Laibi herself has never seen.

The club has earned official recognition from the All Manipur Football Association. More importantly, it's produced players like Nirmala Devi, who now competes in the Indian Women's League.

Why This Inspires

The girls call Laibi "Ebo Laibi," meaning grandmother. At barely four feet tall, she's never kicked a ball in competition, yet she's changed trajectories for countless young women in a region where options were scarce.

"She doesn't play football but spends all her energy on us," Nirmala says. That energy has created ripples far beyond the soccer field, proving that giving young people purpose and skills can redirect entire communities.

Filmmaker Meena Longjam recently captured Laibi's journey in the documentary Andro Dreams. Decades after that first practice, the shy teacher's impact continues growing with every girl who learns she can build her own future.