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By Joyce Mukucha
The Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) is continuing to make concerted efforts in coordinating, taking leadership, and supporting the implementation of integrated Family Planning and related Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services, reducing the spread of HIV, teenage pregnancies as well as eradicating gender-based violence (GBV) amongst youths in various communities of the country.
In line with this, ZNFPC last week partnered with Harare City Council in introducing traditional games including tsoro, nhodo, pada as well as sporting activities such as netball and soccer which were aimed at refreshing the minds of these young people and at the same time offered free HIV Testing Services, counselling and performed other related sexual reproductive health services.
Speaking during the sports day in Mbare, ZNFPC Marketing, and Communications Manager, Donald Dube highlighted that the initiative was part of the organization’s commemorations of World AIDS Day as well as ensuring that GBV and spread HIV which are becoming rampant in communities are curbed.
He pointed out that ZNFPC was committed to offering programmes like these of reducing teenage pregnancies, providing family planning services in integrated settings, and increasing utilization of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) and permanent methods.
“This is us engaging with the communities in raising awareness and against gender-based violence as we are honoring 16 days against gender-based violence as well World AIDS day. We are also fighting to have zero new infections by 2030.
“We have come to the youths since they are the most affected group. We have been witnessing a rise in teenage pregnancies, alcohol and substance abuse among others we all need to fight this from a community level. The youths also need to embrace access to Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services which we as ZNFPC advocates that they have access to. They need to decide for themselves anything concerning their bodies,” said Dube.
Meanwhile, Calista Kaseke, Harare City Council Community Services Officer from Mabvuku said the games play a critical role of occupying young people whenever they had nothing to do.
“There is a higher risk of indulging in dangerous activities by youths in the communities nowadays. There is rampant use of drug and substance abuse by the youths which results in many dropping out of school. The aim if they come here or play games in their communities, they avoid idleness. It also applies to the girl child. Like in the COVID-19 lockdowns we witnessed a lot of teenage pregnancies but if they have something like these ball games, they will have time to socialize and network with others.
“We are also targeting the reduction of gender-based violence which has been reported to have increased in our communities. We advise that people should have time to spend outside the homes and learning new things from others likewise we have seven districts today from those everyone will go home with something new from others,” said Kaseke.
By coming up with an initiative of traditional games, she said, it was a way of trying to resuscitate the things that used to occupy and entertain young people in the past.
Kaseke thanked ZNFPC for offering free services to the youths highlighting that they are the ones who use the services mostly yet they encounter a plethora of services in accessing them in healthcare facilities with others failing to afford them.
One of the netball team players from Budiriro, Rufaro Mundozi aged 24 expressed her gratitude to ZNFPC for promoting good health and well-being as well as promoting gender equality amongst communities amongst young people as well as saving adolescent girls’ pockets from buying expensive contraceptives in pharmacies.
She highlighted that sport was positively contributing to the reduction of social ills in communities such as drug and substance abuse.
“For a long time, I have been in part and parcel of these games and activities, to be honest, they play an important role in our lives because they keep us busy. If we are not here for the competitions usually, we will be in our communities having sessions. It takes much of our time that it bails us from all the activities in the communities including drug abuse.
“I just want to thank ZNFPC for bringing HIV testing and free contraceptives. As we spend much time at ball games we do not have time to go to health care services we end up buying expensive contraceptives in pharmacies. I’m so glad and grateful today because I received contraceptives for free,” she said.
ZNFPC clinics offer comprehensive integrated services on family planning and related reproductive health.
The organization also provides contraceptive products and services, education and counselling, breast and cervical cancer screening, fertility services, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), sexually transmitted infections screening and treatment, HIV Testing Services, and referrals.