Yes, protect the goal

So, once again it is time to recall the amazing tale about the Chileka man, Samuel Mayinga, who stunned the world some years back with his confession in court that he deliberately concealed his former wife’s ‘jewels’ through charms [kusilika] so that no other man could have pleasure in them.

The woman had ditched Mayinga and started a new lease of life with another man, but when the new hubby could not locate the ‘target’ in rather strange circumstances, frustration took its toll and he understandably sought divorce [band inagawanapo zida] because how else could a marriage without the pleasure of ‘shushu’ sessions last?

Apparently, the situation led to the woman suing Mayinga for obstructing her from enjoying her conjugal rights in the new family.. The story hogged the limelight both locally and beyond that it was even splashed in the Express International tabloid of England. Well, that was Mayinga’s way of ‘protecting the goal’.

I have been reminded of this amazing tale following the recent partnership by UNAids and FAM to use the beautiful game of football as a platform for scaling up access to HIV and Aids information and services among the youth, as well as mobilising young people to commit to HIV prevention.

As I sat in the conference room at FAM offices last Monday, what caught my attention was not UNAids country coodinator Amakobe Sande’s striking beauty nor her colleague Aurelie Andriamliason’s georgeous looks, but the creativity in which they want to use football to advance the noble cause. It was touching to hear that only 42 percent of young people—aged between 15 and 24—have accurate and comprehensive knowledge of HIV and that 6 700 new infections occurred in 2012 among adolescents aged 15-19, translating to 18 infections per day.

Isn’t it sad that some of the youth are lured by a meagre K500 to ‘open up’ for zidya makanda thereby putting their lives at risk just to buy air time and such funny clothing like leggings? And those in the fast world do it in retun for pizza or a touch screen phone. There is indeed urgent need to equip the youth with the right information and nothing else has the ability to capture people’s imagination quite like football and, of course, music. Isn’t it proper, therefore, that we join hands to help the youth ‘protect their goal’ other than open them up anyhow through football? Shout with me, Yes Garry! Notenga matenda…Noleta panyumba..Madam wako akhala shalala iwe! Glory be to God! Uloliwe.. Uloliwe wayidudula hi..Nang’esiza! [The train is pushing!]