HARARE - SportsAids Project has launched a five year plan that seeks to reduce HIV and AIDS prevalence among youths through sports.
Over 40 000 young people between the ages of 10 to 24 are set to benefit from basic information on HIV and AIDS while promoting sporting skills.
The project aims to establish sports clubs in vocational, tertiary and private colleges across the country.
Adonija Muzondiona, the Nationals Aids Council coordinator for Harare, told the Daily News that initiatives like the just launched SportAIDS Project are essential in reducing Zimbabwe’s HIV and AIDS prevalence.
“HIV is with us and this is one of the innovative ways to fight the scourge,” said Muzondiona.
“We have targeted the youth because they are vulnerable.”
According to available statistics on Zimbabwe, 70 out of every 1000 boys 70 have children while 120 out of every 1000 girls are mothers.
The statistics also reveal that eleven percent of every 100 Zimbabwean girls are HIV positive. Girls are having their sexual debut at 18 in a context in which intergenerational sex has become commonplace.
“But through sports, debates, cultural shows, HIV and AIDS campaigns we can give youths knowledge, so that they can be saved,” added the Nationals Aids Council coordinator for Harare.
SportAIDS plans to use a host of strategies to achieve their objectives of Zero New infections, Zero Discrimination, Zero AIDS related death by 2015.
The centrepiece of these strategies will be the appointment of SportAIDS ambassadors drawn from local sporting luminaries across various sporting disciplines to engage the youths on HIV awareness.
“We are looking at approaching the likes of (Dynamos Football icon) George Shaya, (Swimming Sensation) Kirsty Coventry,” said SportAIDS spokesman Lovemore Banda.
“Through the SportAIDS project we are developing sports personalities, whilst also capacitating young people with information.”
The project hosted its inaugural Sports Gala at the University of Zimbabwe in October last year using sport as vehicle to engage young people on social and behaviour change as well as peace building.