MUREWA — Chidiya Primary School, located deep in Murewa West, has a very big catchment area. But there has not been much development at the school for years.
Report by Jairos Saunyama, Own Correspondent
But recently, Peter Magaso, from the nearby Chizanga Village, felt deeply moved to give back to the community that moulded him.
He chose sport to reach out to this otherwise forgotten school in that backwater. Through sport, this once sleepy rural outpost has awakened from its deep slumber.
Recently, scores of people from surrounding villages thronged the sports field. It was a mixed multitude made up of barefooted youngsters who defied the baking surface on that hot day, women with babies strapped on their backs and old men who ended up sitting in tree shades as they passed around a gourd of traditional beer.
In the minds of all the villagers who made it to the pitch that day, it was about the tournament, the first ever to take place in their neglected area except the usual school sport competitions run by the Ministry of Education, Arts Sport and Culture.
But in the mind of Magaso, it was another story. The idea of uplifting gifted soccer and netball players in his community loomed large in his mind, and had started giving him sleepless nights.
However, the South Africa-based former pupil at Chidiya Primary School hosted the successful “Magaso Tournament” in which participating schools were awarded new soccer and netball kits, soccer balls and trophies for the winners.
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“Most people from this community have no means to uplift the area so I felt obliged as a son from this area to dare neglecting it and it is my obligation as a son from this area to do something for the development of the area and its people,” he said.
He said he had faith in the youngsters from the area who, if given an opportunity and platform to display their skills, would go far in their chosen areas of sporting endeavour.
“This area is replete with talent in soccer, netball and other sporting disciplines but due to the absence of developmental tournaments, these talents are never identified. I believe Murewa can produce its own Peter Ndlovus and this can only happen through tournaments like the one I organised,” he said.
The initial tournament was based on a five-year plan that would see the identified kids playing for big clubs in Zimbabwe and beyond in the next five years.
“The kids who have been identified are taken for special training in Harare where I believe they will realise their dreams,” he said.
Magaso poured over R30 000 into the tournament which saw three schools each walking away with a kit.
“This doesn’t mean I have a lot of money, but I just want this community to have something to smile about. I just feel that children in Murewa West must get the necessary support from their elders so that they realise their dreams,” he said with a passion.
He added that sport was a tool for uniting people of different beliefs and various backgrounds.
“Sport is a very useful tool that can unite people. This community, just like other communities, has people with certain differences in every aspect, that is politically or religiously.
“But tournaments like these are a vehicle for unity and this is another objective of this tournament. If people are united, then the community will move on and become prosperous,” he said.
Parents who spoke to NewsDay at the event expressed their gratitude to Magaso for his efforts.
“We are very happy that at least we have a tournament that will see our children pursuing something at which they are good,” said a delighted parent, Taurai Maganhi.
He regretted that businesspeople in the community had not been moved to invest in sport development in the their community
“We have businesspeople around here, but no one has ever thought of parting with his or her few dollars for these children except Magaso,” he added.
“Magaso came all the way from South Africa to give a hand to his community. Some schools had no soccer and netball kits, but now they have them.”
Three primary schools from Murewa West, Dombodzvuku, Chidiya and Maruta took part in the tournament which saw Dombodzvuku coming top in soccer while Chidiya were crowned netball champions.
