Blessing Nduku
Rise of Hope Academy (ROHA) a local football club believes that sports can play a meaningful role in minimizing the use of drugs and alcohol abuse by youths in the Mkoba community.
Speaking to this reporter, ROHA Secretary General Benson Chiguri said that as an academy they aim to usher discipline as well as instill leadership qualities within young men and women under their wings.
“ROHA is one unique Academy and we aim to usher discipline as well as instill leadership instincts within young men under our wings.”
“We have seen great talents falling all because of drug and substance abuse therefore we are here to create an environment where there is talent identification and not forgetting being a brother’s keeper through love and unity.”
Chiguri said that as an academy they are looking forward to having their training facilities as well as having players in other leagues.
“We are looking forward to having our training facility as you can see, we do not have our ground we usually use Mkoba Stadium when it is not occupied and also have players in other divisions like ZPSL Division One and some abroad.”
“At ROHA we bring hope through sports, patience is one of the key factors, and we always encourage each other that we do not to give up on one’s talent not forgetting that football is business nowadays so if one gets the opportunity they should grab it and make use of it.”
One of the Directors who is also one of the coaches Cainos Tazviwira said that winning games is one of their moto not forgetting discipline to curb drug and substance abuse in communities.
“Winning games is our motto, we played Bullets Academy last weekend and the results were as follows under U13, 0-0, U15 we won 1-0 and lastly U17 we won 2-0. We all see the rate of drug and substance abuse in communities hence it is one of our mandates to ensure that we curb it in our community and country as well.”
“I just want to encourage parents to register their kids with us, trust us with your children and I assure you we will be able to fight drug and substance abuse in Mkoba, Gweru, Midlands as well as Zimbabwe as a whole,” Tazviwira said.
ROHA was formed and registered on the 18th of May 2019. It has 20 under 13, 20 under 15 and 20 under 17 registered members. They also have 28 registered players in Division 2.
