Online Reporter
Abel Ndooka
A community-based football club from Mashonaland Central Province has taken up the mandate of becoming one of the leading voices in football in the fight against drug and substance abuse in the country, using the beautiful game to change lives and create opportunities for its players through income-generating projects.
Village Hope FC, which is based in Christon Bank, is using football to steer youths away from drugs and teach them honest ways of making a living.
Following the campaign launched by President Mnangagwa to fight drug and substance abuse in the country, Village Hope FC founder, Taurai Shereni, said he took the initiative to establish the club so that it could mould players who are free from drugs while creating life-changing opportunities for them.
“Drugs have become a menace in our country and they are destroying our young boys and girls,” he said.
“Seeing how they are destroying our young boys and girls, I took it upon myself to create a community-based football club so that we capture our young boys and girls before they are hooked on drugs.
“As Village Hope FC, we are using football to fight drug abuse in the country and teaching the young generation how to make an honest living using their hands rather than wasting their lives by using drugs.”
Apart from fighting drug and substance abuse, Shereni said Village Hope FC was taking time to teach its players ways of making money through various income-generating projects so that they are prepared for life after football.
“In football, every player’s dream is to play for the biggest teams in the country and Europe, but few will achieve that dream, so we are preparing our players for life after football if they fail to achieve that dream,” he said.
“Hence, we are teaching our players different income-generating projects such as poultry, sewing, welding and many others so that they are equipped with different life skills.
“If we equip them with different life skills, they will never think about drugs.”
Village Hope FC coach, Prince Honde, said their dream was to one day play in the Premier League while continuing with Shereni’s vision of keeping players away from drugs and substance abuse.
“On our part as coaches, we want to take the club to the Premier League where our players can get the much-needed exposure, so we are working towards that and we are guided by the vision of our director to teach our players about discipline and keep them away from drugs and substances,” he said.
