August 2019 netball tournament: Chigumula win
24 youth groups competed in MASYAP’s August 2019 netball tournament, which used sport to keep girls active in the holidays and to share HIV messages.
MASYAP’s netball tournament ran from 7 to 30 August 2019, during the end-of-year school holidays. It was a success and met all of its aims.
Why we run it
- To give girls a positive activity during the school holidays
- To engage young people and share education and information about HIV and AIDS
- To develop life skills through sport and teamwork
- To promote social inclusion, break down stigma and discrimination, and provide a safe, supportive environment for girls living with or affected by HIV
- To give girls access to voluntary, confidential HIV counselling and testing and other health services
- To use sport’s profile to share AIDS messages with a wider audience
- To build membership and loyalty in the groups
The teams
24 youth groups took part: Bangwe Mvula, Bangwe Alasala, Makungwa, Makwasa, Madina, Chigumula, Chiradzulu, Mtendere, Ndirande, Machinjiri, Misesa, Chiwembe, Kumwembe, Soche, Mpemba, Kubaluti, Lirangwe, Lunzu, Kameza, Chirimba, Namiyango, BCA, Chilomoni and Chilobwe.
The competition was much stronger than in 2017, and the teams were well prepared. The final was played between BCA and Chigumula at Misesa.
Prize-giving
Prizes were presented on 8 September 2019 at the IQRA Propagation Centre in Blantyre. The event opened with a dua by one of the players, followed by a welcome from Women’s Coordinator Lennie Kachingwe, who reminded the girls of MASYAP’s aims and encouraged them to be strong female role models in their communities and to stay as active in their groups as they had been during the tournament.
Chigumula were the winners. The players wore T-shirts carrying the message Atsikana ozindikira amayezesa HIV (“Informed girls get tested for HIV”).
