Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
SAFAIDS Zimbabwe and Hwange-based Buwalo Matalikolo Trust (BMT) are using sport to conscientise communities about gender based violence (GBV), which has been prevalent throughout the Covid-19 lockdown as families were locked down together.
There have been concerns about an increase in cases of different kinds of GBV, including child abuse, and the two organisations, through their Rights, Action and Accountability (RAA) programme, chose to use sport to raise awareness against the vice and educate the public.
Following relaxation of lockdown regulations to allow some sporting disciplines to resume, SafAids Zimbabwe and BMT organised a football and netball tournament for Matetsi ward where six teams each battled it out in a round robin format at Lubangwe grounds on Thursday.
The football teams were Isibhakabhaka, Isla Stars, Matetsi Rovers, 55 Warriors and Young Stars.
Netball teams were Isibhakabhaka, Isla Queens, Leopards, Young Stars and White Angels.
Leopards beat Young Stars in a penalty shootout to win the tournament, while Osibhakabhaka were the netball winners.
SafAids Zimbabwe senior programmes officer Lloyd Dembure said sport is a good platform to reach out to hard to get sections of society like men.
“We thought of using sport to address issues of GBV. Sport gathers people together, especially men, who are hard to reach, but here many came to watch soccer and netball and in the process listened to awareness and education on GBV.
“We are hoping that this will also address issues of mental health considering that the lockdown period caused a lot of stress in families, affecting them mentally and now they can go back home, sit down and discuss issues they heard here,” said Dembure
BMT executive director Annah Mandizha-Ncube said the GBV message had reached all age groups.
“We looked at the fact that people have been locked down for a long time. Yes, we have been having dialogues, but that was for specific sectors and today we are happy because we had all ages ranging from primary school kids, youth and the elderly,” she said. – @ncubeleon
Online Reporter