Youth for Development and Productivity (YODEP) has intensified its fight against Gender-based Violence affecting women and the youth at group Village heads Kadewere and Kimu in Traditional Authority Mwambo in Zomba.
Speaking at Likangala Primary School ground at T/A Mwambo in Zomba, YODEP Programmes Manager Joy Mwandama said the organisation decided to hold a football and netball bonanza to raise awareness about forms of violence that are perpetuated on women and youths and the negative impact of the violence.
He expressed hope that the messages during the bonanza were loud and clear enough to stop rape, defilement, child negligence, child labour and other forms of phycological torture.
“Apart from disseminating messages against GBV, YODEP also taught people at Kadewere and Kimu how to make manure and has also taught young people technical and vocational skills to empower them economically,” Mwandama added.
District Youth Officer at Zomba District Council, Anthony Makhanga, hailed YODEP for using the sport bonanza to raise awareness on the negative impact of GBV on women and the youths.
He, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations working in Zomba to use sports bonanza to raise awareness on various social issues.
Group Village Head Kimu also thanked YODEP for fighting against GBV in his area and said both football and netball were also relevant to the youth in the area as they had something to do other than indulging themselves in proscuminous behaviours.
“I hope the bonanza prize money will help the youths to find something helpful to do,” Kimu said.
The champion, Likangala FC received K200,000, a uniform and a ball while Akwedi FC received K150,000 and a ball and in netball, Kimu Queens received K200,000 and a ball while Ndago Queens received K150,000 and a ball
Save the Children provided K80 Million to YODEP, which also enabled households at Kadewere and Kimu to receive K180,000 each through cash transfers to cushion the households against drought that affected the area.
