The Sunday News
Nhlalwenhle Ngwenya, Sunday Life Correspondent
USING soccer to reach out to adolescents on various health issues Grassroot soccer Zimbabwe has partnered with BancABC under the initiative of Atlas Mara and the Ministry of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment.
The week-long life skillz programme, which started on Monday is being held at Lobengula and Sizinda Vocational training centres were already 12 teams are on knock out stages as the date for the final match is yet to be announced.
“Skillz” Holiday Camp, is delivered by Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe, as they seek to find a better platform using soccer to equip youngster on health issues mainly focusing on HIV, voluntary male circumcision and substance abuse.
Communication officer for Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe, Nompumelelo Bhebhe, said that they were targeting more than 500 adolescents and those who would have come to watch the football matches.
“Skillz is set to reach out to 500 youths, 250 boys and 250 girls over one week. These youths are going to be taught a number of health life skillz as well as basic soccer drills by current and former footballers and other community role models. A soccer tournament of all the participating teams will crown the event, where communities are going to be mobilized in their numbers to come and watch these youngsters demonstrating their soccer tournaments as well as affording the community to access free health services that will be provided by GRS’s partners of the day,” said Bhebhe.
Grassroot Soccer Zimbabwe director Bhekimpilo Moyo also added that their main thrust was to ensure that participants will go on to use skills obtained in the programme to be health role models in their communities.
“We hope the beneficiaries of this program will use the knowledge and skills obtained to be agents of change in their communities and live healthy lifestyles. At Grassroot Soccer, we believe in learning through play as not all youths properly grasp these life skillz in a formal set up. Thus, a sport for education or development is one of the key game changers. We also hope that the knowledge imparted will not benefit the participants only but the communities they live in as well,” said Moyo.
Bulawayo is the second to benefit from the partnership with BancABC as the first program was delivered in Mutare in August 2016. So far Grassroot Soccer has plans afoot to make the program a national event as it has seen a tremendous success from the past held events.
