Matobo villagers adopt sports in the fight against crime, teenage pregnancies

Villagers in Bazha, Matobo Ward 17, have adopted sports as a way of combating crime and teenage pregnancies in the district. 

The idea is a brainchild of Mr Mtshumayeli Jeckonia Sibanda, a pastor in the Johane Masowe church.
“We noticed that there was a high crime rate in the community involving boys and girls, and a lot of school dropouts because of early unplanned pregnancies, so the church in consultation with the community decided to form a sports club,” says Sibanda. 

Although the initial goal was to combat crime, Sibanda  highlights that the club has been instrumental in uncovering hidden talent. “Young people in rural areas are significantly ignored as far as opportunities are concerned because of lack of access to facilities and exposure. However, the club provides a platform for exposing and exploring talent. There is hope that through the platform young talent can be recognized by even bigger clubs that can offer better opportunities to them. The community warmly embraced the idea from the onset. Donations from the community have kept the club afloat”, said Sibanda. 

However, the teams still need a lot of support to fully maximize the players’ potential. Some essentials which include sports attire, balls, whistles, nets, soccer boots, hand pumps, practicing cones, transport and incentives for the team members and administration are needed.

“When the idea was pitched to the village heads and the villagers, they immediately embraced the idea to the extent of allocating land to pitch our playing fields and by allowing their children to join the teams”, recalls Sibanda. 
The club currently has a football team called East Rovers with over 30 players and a netball team. The club also has self-help projects in the pipe line for its members, which include poultry, carpentry, building, cattle ranching and welding. 

Despite the challenges, the club has made significant strides towards its mission. 

The football team has been registered under the Matobo Amateur Football Association (MAFA). East Rovers has joined with six other community teams in Matobo to formulate a league which kicked off on 13 March 2021.
For donations towards this initiative in cash or in kind you can call or Whatsapp Samuel Sibanda on +27834121142 or Jeckonia Sibanda on +263776444659