Empowering communities through sports


Lazarus Sauti

M
abvuku Tafara Community League is a unique association that not only promotes football as a game, but also looks into building capacity of the youth and the community at large.

The league comprises 16 teams and it prioritises on raising the standard of football through community participating.

It aims to empower the Mabvuku and Tafara communities through sports by promoting football and building skills among the youth and the community.

The brainchild of the league, Tonderai Drawu, says the community league has a long-term objective of remaining institutional in Mabvuku and Tafara, as an annual event.

“The main goal is vested in quality of the event, and not quantity. With the executive of the league, we are working flat out to make this league an annual event,” Drawu said.

Drawu, a former football player himself, adds: “The community is now determined to uphold the league’s value and quality and this is a plus to the project. The community has realised that we are not in this project for money but to raise the profile of Mabvuku and Tafara communities and at the same time cultivating talent for division one, Premier Soccer League and national teams.

“Too many national associations are failing African football. We cannot have strong national teams without grassroot development and strong leagues.”

Charles Mwale, treasurer of the Mabvuku Tafara Community League, believes the league is benefiting the community in the maintenance of sporting facilities it uses for its matches. He also stresses that the league is becoming more and more competitive each week.

He says: “The community is now appreciating in the league as attendances are improving. This shows that the league is becoming competitive too.

“We are raising the awareness of sports and providing the Mabvuku and Tafara people a chance to network.”

To show their commitment to the development of soccer in the country, Drawu and Mwale opened an academy at Mabvuku High School that trains under-15 boys using the school’s soccer pitch.

The duo believes government should offer school facilities to community teams to help spread sport to disadvantaged and remote areas in the country.

“I hope the government, through the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture, is going to provide an enabling environment not only to s but to other communities so that community teams can get the much-needed recognition,” says Mwale.

As a way of motivating teams, the community league has a tournament for top four teams only.

Drawu says, “The purpose of the tournament is to improve competition between teams and to raise the overall standard of the league.” 

With support from stakeholders in the sporting industry, initiatives such as the Mabvuku Tafara Community League can raise the profile of football and empower communities.

Countries in the African continent should also come up with community ideas to keep their unemployed youths occupied. This will not only improve participants’ health but drug abuse and crime rates.

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