Mother and child close-up embracing

Sport can be a fun and effective way of bringing together the local community. In Zimbabwe, the Global Peace Games are a yearly event that brings together the community. This is a report on a recent such event near to SOS Children's Village Bindura:

Soccer, netball, volleyball, and basketball were played at the recently celebrated Global Peace Games by various facilities associated with SOS Children's Villages Bindura and SOS Children's Village Bulawayo

Local schools and other non-governmental agencies working with children and youths joined in the fun and celebration of peace and unity amongst communities. Children and co-workers came together to celebrate the United Nations Day of peace which is recognised to be the 21 September each year.

The Global Peace Games have been celebrated since 2001 and bring together children, sport and the topic of peace in an environment that encourages peaceful solutions and cultural understanding in a non violent environment.

Individual peace games are held throughout the world around the 21 September, on a community level and show support and solidarity for children, youths, peace, cultural acceptance and the attempt to meet the millennium development goals.

In Bindura, the games 'kicked off' with a netball match between girls from SOS Children's Village Bindura and girls from the surrounding community who are linked with the family strengthening programme. The final score left the girls from the village trailing 5 points at the end with a final score of 14 for the girls from the family strengthening project.

The mixed volleyball match saw a turn around though when girls and boys from the village beat children from the family strengthening project two one. Then it was the best of the youths teams playing against a selection of co-workers from SOS Children's Village Bindura - the youngsters beat the co-workers soundly at three nil.

Basketball was the final sport of the day and just about everyone joined in. The victors of the younger age group for the day was a team from a local primary school while among the older children, a team from the village won the match.

In Bulawayo, similar sports were played in matches that featured SOS Children's Village co-workers, who were beaten soundly at soccer by an under-18 team from the village, to a 'display' match played by kindergarten children on a mini pitch; volleyball, netball and basketball matches were also played.

The games were graced by the presence of Mr S Dube, the Zimbabwe International Football Association representative who attended the whole event.