ZIMBABWE is looking to participate at the Homeless World Cup when the competition makes a return after a four-year Covid-19 induced hiatus.
The event is scheduled to take place in Sacramento, California, US from July 8 - 16.
The last event was held in Cardiff, Wales in 2019 and the 2020 competition due to be held in Tampere, Finland was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD) who are the custodians of the Homeless World Cup in Zimbabwe expressed excitement with the return of their flagship event.
"For us as YASD the Homeless World Cup is the culmination of work we would be doing as an organisation. The tournament is a platform for our organization to advocate on various issues which affect young people the organization works with," YASD Communications Officer Joe Kuseka said.
"For the 2023 edition we are running with the theme #football is for everyone. We believe football can be a social tool to change mindsets, perceptions and attitudes on social, political and economic challenges young people in marginalised and vulnerable communities are going through.
"What’s key for us is to promote the organisation's values of inclusion, participation and development in promoting the integration of young people in the conversation of youth development.
"As a nation Zimbabwe is facing a daunting task in fighting drug and substance abuse, a challenge which was compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Young people were mostly affected due to closure of schools, furthermore some of their parents lost their jobs and young people had to also help their families to earn a living. Young people became street connected and exposed to drugs, crime, abuse as well as teen pregnancy and early marriage," Kuseka said.
Zimbabwe has been involved with the Homeless World Cup since 2006 and was able to send a mixed team (Men and women) to Cardiff in 2019, which was captained by disabled footballer and fitness enthusiast Kudakwashe Mapira
Kuseka said the preparations are already underway to choose a team that will fly the flag high in the US.
"The preparations for the tournament have begun and we are already identifying young people from the sports training programme, who qualify to take part in the tournament. We are also going round in various communities doing selection tournaments to broaden the pool of selection.
"For us to take part in the HWC we have to have a fundraiser for the team and our fundraising efforts determine the kind of sendoff we will have for the team. To this end we are kindly appealing to corporates, individuals, or other like minded organizations to partner YASD to help transform communities using football.
"From previous tournaments we have seen the power of football to inspire and change lives. Just looking at previous participants like Kudakwashe Mapira who has become a brand ambassador for disabled persons in sport as a fitness and motivation coach. Stories like Kuda Mapira and countless other young people who have represented Zimbabwe at the HWC make the effort worth it," Kuseka said.
In the absence of the Homeless World Cup YASD has been active in various communities despite the Covid restrictions and regulations.
The organisation has been running mentoring and sports coaching sessions to help inspire and motivate young people to be leaders in the communities.
In 2022 they managed to send a team of 10 young women to experience the World Cup in Qatar Doha in the Street Child World Cup.
"The past three years we have been advocating and assisting young people to cope with the effects of the COVID pandemic, the work has seen the organisation's reach and presence in various communities being more pronounced," he said.