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Canadian Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan knows what it's like to dream big while living on limited means, having grown up in Toronto as the youngest of seven daughters to a single mother who moved from house to house.
Football became Buchanan's salvation. But the costs were daunting. She always preferred new football boots to school shoes. She often asked her teammates to give her rides to practices and games.
Buchanan is now setting up a fund for girls from single-parent families to help fund their football goals and is one of 14 female players around the world taking part in the FIFA Player Impact program unveiled on Friday.
“This project hit the mark,” the 32-year-old told Reuters. “I’m very passionate about it because it’s essentially the story of my life.
“I lived in Toronto, Mississauga, Georgetown, Brampton. I just moved from house to house. Mother [Melsadie Tate]being Jamaican she found it difficult to find work, we ended up in public housing. I remember an email from the team saying, “Kadeisha Buchanan, your fees have not been paid yet.”
“There were a lot of mouths to feed. But my mother was in a hurry, she asked friends and family to help with the trip, registration fees and forms. So it really took a community to help me get to where I am today through football.”
These experiences helped shape her foundation.
Go to the next level
Armed with an initial $25,000 and recommendations from soccer's global governing body FIFA, Buchanan plans to provide financial assistance and mentoring to 12 girls aged 12 to 16 to “help them get to the next level, whether that's to become a professional or go to America on a full scholarship.”
The players had to propose ideas to FIFA, which also selected Melchi Duorne (Haiti), Gael Enganamuit (Cameron), Formiga (Brazil), Sebu Tawfik (Saudi Arabia), Tabitha Chaviking (Malawi), Lydia Williamsia (Japan), Saki Umai), Saki Maginalia (Japan), Saki Maginalia (Japan (England), Tiernu Davidson (USA), Malia Steinmetz (New Zealand), Laura Georges (France/Guadeloupe) and Khadija Shaw (Jamaica).
For FIFA Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis, the initiative is aimed at helping players expand their legacy beyond the game.
The players have an impact on the field, but they also really want and care about creating a legacy and passing it on, Ellis told Reuters.
“My hope [through Buchanan's foundation] finds the next Kadeisha Buchanan and helps her. What I know about these players is that they give credit where credit is due.”
Ellis believes the program's strength lies in amplifying the players' voices.
“The Kadeishi initiative is about getting girls interested in football and keeping them there,” she said. “And what a role model. There is no better influence than the players' own voices and their own intentions.”
Buchanan's goal is simple: to give girls the opportunities she once dreamed of.
“Growing up, the Canadian team often played on [Toronto's] BMO Field and I couldn’t attend because the tickets were expensive,” she said.
“So to be able to partner with Canada Soccer and provide tickets for a group of girls to games, I think that would be great, something I've never been able to do.”
Buchanan, who was a key member of Team Canada that won gold at the 2022 Olympics and has three Women's Super League titles plus an FA Cup with Chelsea, has not played since tearing her anterior cruciate ligament just over a year ago but said she has made good progress after some setbacks in her recovery.
Buchanan is also pursuing his other passion, coaching, and is working towards his UEFA A Licence.
