Football is incredibly popular and a great way of engaging with young people in all walks of life. The “Strengthening Protected Area Network in Southern Tanzania (SPANEST)” a UNDP/GEF Project implemented in Southern Tanzania decided to use football to raise conservation awareness among the youth in villages adjacent to Ruaha National Park (RUNAPA) specifically about the evils of rampant elephant killings in the park. SPANEST Project in collaboration with RUNAPA, Pawaga and Idodi Divisions in Iringa district and the Football Association of Iringa district jointly organized football competitions for the youth representing 21 villages bordering Ruaha National Park.
The aim of the competitions named SPANEST Cup is to bring together the majority of youth from the villages with a view to raise their knowledge on the escalating elephant poaching in the park and how the youth could be involved in tackling the crisis. SPANEST Cup youth campaign is complimentary to other initiatives by project. Other activities implemented in collaboration with other stakeholders in addressing wildlife crime in the areas through local leaders and members of the community includes awareness raising meetings, training workshops, local media programmes, and targeted publications.
The 2014 youth campaign provide an opportunity for the youth and community members to share their views on how to address the escalating wildlife poaching within their areas.SPANEST Project provided a set of sports jersey and two foot-balls each to the eight teams which made it to the quarter finals. The jerseys had a clear message printed about the motto of the campaign ‘’stop elephant poaching, protect elephants, play football’’ More than 250 youth players have so far participated in the competition since the launch of the cup in July 2014.
Over 150,000 young men and women and other community members from 21 villages are expected to participate in the matches and receive a message on the current situation of the elephant poaching in Ruaha and how they could participate to stop it. The launch attracted a huge crowed of young men and women from all walks of life around Idodi ward. Also in attendance at the event were the Iringa District Commissioners, Regional Police Commander, Ruaha Chief Park Warden, local leaders from Idodi and Pawaga Divisions, members of media, local artists from Iringa, political and government leaders from Idodi, Kitisi and Mapogoro villages.
The Iringa Regional Commissioner congratulated UNDP support on the SPANEST projects including raising awareness against poaching through engaging youths in sports. She assured the government full support to fight poaching and urged youth and communities surround the Ruaha National Park to take the lead in protecting their resources.
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