All roads last weekend led to Mucheke stadium where something very interesting was happening, as the country is drawing closer and closer to the elections day it pleased My Age Zimbabwe Trust under the BioBuddyz18 project to organize what was called a sports gala with an aim of reaching out to young people with the messages in relation to the electoral process youth as mobilisers, voters through enhancing positive and peaceful participation of all youths, male and female, aged between 17 and 35 years in 3 Districts of Masvingo Province, to positively and peacefully participate in the 2018 electoral process.
The day at Mucheke Stadium started pretty well with a lot of young people flocking in to attend the gala which was an exhibition of various sporting disciplines which included football, netball, Volleyball and basketball.
The whole essence of the event was to bring young people who are in a larger percent in Zimbabwe’s population and sensitize them on various things regarding to the electoral processes ranging from registration (which is underway) and the actual voting. The messages on the day surrounded on the topic of peace building, encouraging young people to actively partic
ipate in the upcoming elections and also notifying them on the fact that they can still register for the upcoming elections which is still underway in ZEC provincial and district offices.
Apart from the sporting events the day was also spiced up by comic and music performances and young people also had a chance access to sexual reproductive health services from the My Age Zimbabwe trust stand which included condoms, sanitary pads and other IEC materials on Bio metric voter registration and other projects which the organisation is currently implementing.
At the end of the Bio buddyz sport gala which saw 8 football team, 6 netball teams and 2 basketball playing on the day it is believed that young people in some way or the other been encouraged to go register in order for them to participate in the upcoming elections and also they have been tasked to be agents of peace on the actual voting day and the aftermath of the elections and thus making them responsible citizens and active participants in the development processes of Zimbabwe.
My Age through this project will continue to innovatively engage youth in the targeted in addressing the negative attitudes, perceptions and misconceptions in relation to voting among youths hence promoting peaceful participation in the build-up and during elections as well as creating a hype in facilitating registration and voting of youths in Masvingo Province.
Article By:
Timothy Bengo and Tina Andersen
(AYESE PARTICIPANTS)