Chronicle Editor
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE will today join the global community in honouring the significance of World Mental Health Day.
Grassroots Soccer, a prestigious organisation, acknowledges the pivotal role sports can play in confronting the array of issues stemming from the human psyche.
They recognise the importance of creating awareness about social challenges, which can lead to positive transformations in our communities, using the unifying sport of soccer.
“October 10 marks World Mental Health Day, a poignant reminder of the urgent need to address the growing mental health crisis affecting youth worldwide. As we acknowledge this critical issue, we want to highlight the ground-breaking work of Grassroot Soccer (GRS), an organisation leveraging the power of soccer to drive positive change,” said Happy Ncube, the Grassroots Partnerships Programmes Manager in Bulawayo.
GRS was founded in Bulawayo in 2002. GRS uses football as a tool to educate, inspire and empower adolescents in disadvantaged communities to live healthier and productive lives. Their innovative approach combines sports activities with life skills.
“Through our programmes, GRS has reached over two million youths in 50 countries, creating a supportive community that encourages open discussion and helps break down stigma around mental health.
“Mental health issues affect one in five youths globally, with many struggling in silence. Stigma, lack of resources and cultural barriers exacerbate this crisis. GRS tackles these challenges head-on by normalising mental health conversations, providing accessible, youth-friendly support and building resilience through MindSKILLZ curriculum,” said Ncube.
Ncube said they are partnering with the Mental Health Department in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC), the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Special Initiative, and local partner Pamumvuri to adapt and evaluate the programme for 3 500 in and out-of-school adolescents aged between 10-19.
“The pilot programme, launched on May 24, has already trained 43 coaches and implemented the newly adapted MindSKILLZ curriculum in schools and community settings across Bulawayo and Harare provinces with the first cohort of participants graduating in July,” he added.
Ncube said the programme was contextualised through participatory workshops with key stakeholders, including young people, to ensure it is relevant and effective.
“As GRS, we will also launch MindSKILLZ enabling environment activities through social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) channels, such as radio, drama and social media videos in the last quarter of the year, with a target of reaching two million adolescents in Zimbabwe.
He said collaborating with the Government was good as the Mental Health Department had actively engaged at every programme stage.
“The World Health Organisation has designated MindSKILLZ a 2024 priority mental health intervention for adolescents in Zimbabwe.
“MindSKILLZ has the potential to transform the approach to adolescent mental health, as highlighted by Minister of (Primary and Secondary) Education, Torerai Moyo, in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Masvingo Province, Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa, at last month’s National Education Conference and Expo (NECE) in Masvingo,” said Ncube.
Minister Moyo emphasised the importance of MindSKILLZ in addressing Zimbabwe’s mental health issues.
The WHO-5 Well-being Index Mean Scores for Cohort demonstrates significant improvement: 92.1 (post-MindSKILLZ) vs 75.6 (pre-MindSKILLZ)
Furthermore, participants reported significant changes in key areas covered by the MindSKILLZ curriculum’s 12 topics. Notably, these changes included:
l A 32pc increase in health-seeking behaviours among adolescents
l A 22pc improvement in essential mental health coping skills
l A 20pc gain in mental health general knowledge
l A 46pc reduction in stigmatising behaviours related to mental health
The initial results stemming from the first cohort of the pilot programme present an optimistic forecast for its continued success.
This serves to emphasise the positive impact that the MindSKILLZ programme has on the mental health and overall well-being of adolescents.
Moreover, on this day of celebration, Grassroots Soccer takes note of the significance of collaborative efforts. As a long-standing advocate for youth development, GRS serves as a model of a successful community-driven initiative that highlights the effectiveness of sports-based programmes as a powerful educational tool for young people.
Online Reporter