Heroes Day Soccer Tournament 9th August 2011
African Bush Camps Foundation holds a soccer tournament each year for the Zimbabwean holiday National Heroes Day for the Dete Soccer League, a ZIFA (Zimbabwe Football Association) registered soccer league made up of 16 clubs representing 16 villages of the surrounding areas.
The aim of the tournament is to provide the clubs with a tournament with prizes as well as bringing together the community in a positive context, building community spirit but also to benefit some of the remote villages who usually do not receive any attention.
This year was our second year of holding the tournament and we had the incredible support of the Jane Bubear Sports Foundation who already have an annual sporting event, a fun run held in Dete. The Jane Bubear Sports Foundation provided all of the funding for the event including the prizes and the sports kit for the Manbanje Primary School.
Our aim this year was to sponsor the soccer clubs but also to reach out to the schools from the 16 villages represented by the soccer teams. Through the support of Jane Bubear Sports Foundation, the top 6 teams received not only prize money in the form of fuel vouchers which they use to get to training sessions and matches, but also soccer boots for each player in the top 6 teams. Each of the 256 players in the league as well as the referees all received a T-shirt. The school we identified with the most needs for 2011 was Manbanje Primary School. It is a school 15km from the village of Dete with no form of transport between the two. School moral and attendance has been recognized as needing improvement , so the sporting equipment donated to the school, again provided for by the Jane Bubear Sports Foundation will hopefully boost the school and whole community. We are also doing a needs assessment to start an income generating project that will benefit this remote and disadvantaged community.
The day kicked off with a soccer and netball match between the Main Camp Primary School and Manbanje Primary schools. The teachers of both schools also had a stall selling food and drinks to raise funds for both schools.
