dyton mupawaenda
Veronica Gwaze-Sports Reporter
THE National Foods School of Excellence has engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in its quest ‘to keep tabs on their beneficiaries in various schools’.
Chairperson for Northern Region Women Soccer League, Peter Gonyora said the SOE saw the need to work with schools in ensuring that their athletes are safe in all aspects.
With the SOE periodic camps only held during school holidays, school authorities have been given the responsibility of ensuring that the athletes are in school and safe from societal ills.
“Our major aim is to ensure that these girls stay away from the society’s ills so in as much as we are moulding the future Mighty Warriors we saw the need to go beyond the pitch to protect them,” said Gonyora during the SOE training camp closing ceremony.
“We are only able to monitor them when they are in camp so for us to ensure they remain in school, we have to engage the schools…some of them are here.”
For a start, the SOE is sending a report on each individual to their respective schools or clubs.
This will create room for both parties (SOE and school authorities) to continuously engage each other on how the athlete is progressing.
Gonyora said while some of the players are club-less, part of the project’s mandate is to ensure that every athlete is attached to a club.
“We have also set up a structure which will see to it that those who are not attached to any club will be assigned to clubs,” he said.
“The system will also follow up on players to make sure that they are being monitored at their clubs or schools and well protected in their respective communities.”
Child marriages and teen pregnancies, said Gonyora, remain widespread in Zimbabwe.
According to UNICEF, one woman out of three was married before the age of 18.
And to end child marriages, said Gonyora, the perception of the role of women in society needs to change.
“Girls need to be given the opportunity to develop their full potential as equal members of society and sport is one effective way to do so,” he said.
“We cannot win this challenge all alone…everyone needs to be hands on deck so you will realise that soon we will be engaging traditional leaders as well.
“To win this war, relevant key players have to return to the drawing board to strategise enforcement methods, this, in essence, means that the SOE is way bigger than we can all imagine.”
Gonyora added that the SOE is set to expand next year, to extend opportunities to young girls from marginalised areas.
Teen mothers are also to be given an opportunity to be part of the program.
“We are aware that some cases of sexual abuse or impregnation of minors have been concealed by some parents who tend to benefit from the perpetrators,” he said.
“So this program is also open to the survivors and as well teen mothers…we are not leaving anyone behind as long as they fit into the stipulated age groups.
“Zimbabwe’s religious sector has also presented its share of burdens on girls, with some sects condoning early child marriages.
“It is our responsibility to stand up against such vices and the time is now; we thank our patron for standing by us and ensuring that our dream comes alive as we strive to build a better tomorrow.”
While the cases are many, the year 2021 story of Anna Machaya, a 15-year-old girl who was reportedly forced to abandon school in order to get married to a 26-year-old stirred a storm.
This highlighted the unending exploitation of young girls in the country.
The teenager from the Johane Marange Apostolic sect died while giving birth at a shrine, signalling a clear case of violation of girls’ rights.
“There is a need to educate these young girls and the community at large on the challenges brought about by such acts,” added Gonyora.
“We work together with the Victim Friendly Unit and others to ensure that we have reporting structures that are friendly, easily accessible and swift in handling such cases to make it very convenient and accessible for the girl-child to report.
“All these aspects are touched on in our periodic camps, so the more girls the program can accommodate, the further we can push our agenda.”
Online Reporter