“This is what we believe in, we believe we can change the community we live in,” said Petros Chatiza, coordinator of Youth Achievement Sports for Development recently during a Food for Thought hosted by the US Embassy.
YASD is based in Harare and works to develop homeless youth. Most of the youth still have traumatic memories of Operation Murambatsvina – the Zanu (PF) governments mass demolition of all informal housing structures across Zimbabwe.
According to international and local humanitarian organisations, nearly three million people in the major cities were affected with most rendered homeless.
Efforts by a number of groups have been made to rehabilitate victims. One of these is a theatre youth initiative, Bornfree.
Soon after Murambatsvina, Bornfree did a play called Tongombeya (a word that defines wanderers) which talked about the evictions and destruction. The play, whose cast were the affected youth, narrated the experiences people went through. But more importantly, it resulted in YASD introducing street soccer – harnessing the therapeutic value of sports for the homeless individuals.
Street soccer is played in an enclosed 16m by 22m pitch, teams are generally made up of 8 players and games are 14 minutes long. The annual Homeless World Cup aims to raise global awareness of homelessness and poverty using the power of sport.
At the 2008 tournament in Australia Zimbabwe was ranked 40th out of 66 countries. Hundreds of Hatcliffe youths have been inspired to develop their lives as a result. One of them is Moreblessing Gwauya.
“I didn’t have any meaning for my own life, if it wasn’t for YASD, I wouldn’t have any hope,” he said. He participated in one of the motivational tournaments where he rubbed shoulders with professional players like former international and national team star Joel Luphahla. Gwauya has since represented Zimbabwe in a street soccer tournament in Kenya., sponsored by UNICEF with representatives from 256 countries. – ZimPAS
Post published in: News