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While World Play Day is May 28, it will be held today as it is a Saturday.
“To all the youths and children out there, our time has come. Play is ours by right, and it’s time to play once again. So come in your numbers as we celebrate our day, playing traditional games and networking,” said Community Arts Projects (CAP) Youth president, Brenda Mugoniwa.
“We are also going to tell parents that it is important for them to give us the time and place to play. It is good for the children to play and learn to socialise and compete, while for the youths they can network and share life skills and ideas. Play also helps keep youths from abusing drugs as meeting publicly does away with such practises,” Mugoniwa said.
The games include traditional games such as pada, nhodo, raka-raka, hwishu, sarura wako and tsoro, among others.
Phillip Mwanza, an undergraduate student and representative from Community Youth Concern, Lusaka, Zambia, scoffed at the year-round “extra lessons” that Zimbabwean students and pupils are subjected to.
“Those extra lessons are quite weird and they should never be allowed. Parents should come together and stop that with immediate effect. Kids should have time to play after school, not to go back to school again.
“It is very important for children to interact and play games, and kids and parents should come today and highlight the importance of play,” he said.
Another Zambian youth, A-Level student Muyoka Shibulo from Livingstone, who represents Environment Africa, said it was important for children to grow up in a healthy environment.
“Children have ecological rights, and parents and authorities should ensure they have a clean and well-functioning environment not polluted by toxic wastes. That way they will have safe spaceS to play.
“The reason why the Zambian national soccer team is successful is because talented players are identified at a young age in the open spaces. In Livingstone we have play parks and youth parks to ensure kids get the chance to play. As EA we have also gone around primary schools teaching pupils the importance of a clean environment,” he said.
Kudzai Kucherera, a Midlands State University student, says that children are spending too much time watching TV, instead of playing. The Terre des Hommes/ Coalition against Child Labour Association of Zimbabwe (Caclaz) youth co-ordinator said municipalities should ensure there are open spaces for children to play.
Former junior Member of Parliament Willmore Hulk Chivakira, representing Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC) said traditional games are a great opportunity for children and youths to have fun. “Hwishu and raka-raka, which children don’t play every day, are more interesting, so I am inviting all the youths to come to Mabvuku and have fun,” he said.
The games are being held under A Chance to Play Southern Africa, and are funded by Terre des Hommes Germany and organised by Farm Orphan Support Trust), CAP and the Midlands Aids Service Organisation.
The event was a huge success last year at the same venue, with over 300 parents and children playing together and having lots of fun.
Online Reporter