In Zimbabwe, many youths cannot pursue their sporting careers because of lack of resources but this has been complicated by the HIV & AIDS pandemic. All children are affected one way or the other. The child becomes a bread winner or cares for the terminally ill, or is already infected and struggles with their own health. Most girls fall into the same tarp of trying to earn a living through prostitution. Sporting clubs are faced with this phenomena, lack of sponsorship complicates issues because the clubs cannot intervene to provide a safe alternative.

4. Foreword
This slide is designed for workshops targeting young
people in a developing country ravaged by the effects
of HIV-AIDS. HIV-AIDS is seen as the major barrier in
children as their sporting careers are cut short by either
being orphaned or them catching the dreaded disease.
Efforts have been made by sporting organisations
partnering with other health organisations to educate
youths on the dangers and effects of risky behaviour.
Sparrows Athletics Club, one of the biggest clubs in
Zimbabwe, being a major player in youth development
facilitates a workshop which assesses the effectiveness
of Sports Health Education Programs.

5. Acknowledgements
All photos have been used with the
blessing of the Bulawayo Team of
2010 Zimbabwe National Youth
Games

6. • IDEA WAS BORN OUT OF THE NEED TO ADOPT
HIV&AIDS EDUCATION THROUGH SPORT TO MORE
RELEVANT AND PRACTICAL DAILY NEEDS OF A
SPORTS PERSON.
 Aids Education in sport has been presented as entertainment trivia or interlude adverts at
sporting occasions such that it ends up becoming a lighter side of an event hence losing
weight and its life changing thrust.
 A play, song or dance depicting effects of HIV-AIDS remain just that a play, music or dance!
 Most risky sexual activities in the Zimbabwe National Youth Games happen during the AIDS-
HIV Edutainment sessions were supervision of athletes becomes lax. Intentions to indulge are
well planned around that period of the program. Younger athletes are the victims.
 Most youths actually experiment with sex, alcohol and drugs at or during sporting activities
where no proper guidance is provided.
 Most athletes are victims of ignorance of risky situations they find or put themselves in and
discover too late that they cannot safely wiggle out. Youths know a lot about HIV & AIDS but
the message has not reached the actual determinants of behaviour.

7. IS THE AIDS & HIV SPORT EDUCATION FORMAT
RELEVANT TO THE DAILY NEEDS OF THE
ATHLETE
GROUP DISCUSSION

9. THE PYSCHOLOGY OF BASIC
NEEDS
• Emotional
• Educational
• Basic Sport requirements

10. • BE IN CONTROL OF ONE’S DESTINY
 Meeting Educational needs
 Meeting Sporting needs
 Meeting one’s economic needs
 Girls not dependant on men
 Boys not dependant on alcohol and drugs for solace
 Athletes not struggling to care for their sick

11. Athletes struggle with sport attire for training and
competitions.
 Running tights
 Running shots
 Running vests
 Warm-up track suits
 Warm-up t-shirts

12. Road Running Shoes

15. HOW?

16. DO THE SUBJECTS HAVE AQEQUATE TRAINING EQUIPMENT. WHAT IS THE INTERVENTION FORMAT?
Education in context

17. LINK HIV-AIDS EDUCATION WITH THE ATHLETES’ CAREER
PATH
DO THEY HAVE ADEQUATE TRAVEL & SUBSISTANCE FUNDING TO ACHIEVE THEIR
GOALS? Can the athletes be funded to spread HIV & AIDS Educational messages
through their athletic career activities?

18. LINK VICTORIES IN SPORT WITH VICTORIES OVER AIDS &
HIV
IS THE ATHLETE SCORING VICTORIES IN SPORT AND ALSO IN THE HIV &
AIDS EDUCATION. What are the behavioural change indicators?

19. LINK UP HIV-AIDS EDUCATION TO CAREER
REWARDS
Most of the athletes’ daily needs can be part of the
reward system presented as performance rewards at competitions.

20. HOW & HOW?

21. COMPLEMENTARY ROLES OF
STAKEHOLDERS
CLUB MANAGEMENT ROLE
• LEARN ABOUT EACH
ATHLETE’S NEEDS
 Emotional
 Material
 Educational
 Sporting
• PROVIDE POSSIBLE SUPPORT
 Moral
 Financial
 Tuition
FAMILY ROLE
• PROVIDE ADEQUATE
INFORMATION
 Welcome friendly support
 Accept Donations from club,
individuals or well wishers
 Reveal educational needs and
accept help and well meaning
conditions attached to it

22. COMPLEMENTARY ROLE OF HIV-
AIDS PROGRAMS
LINK UP AT CLUB-
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
• MEET ATHLETES’
REQUIREMENTS WITH HIV-
AIDS INTERVENTION
PROGRAMS.
Coded Sport Attire
Occasional Seminars
HIV-AIDS Intervention materials
-Needs Assistance
Intervention for orphans in sport
LINK UP AT COMPETITION
LEVEL
• MEET ATHLETES’
COMPETITION
REQUIREMENTS THROUGH
HIV-AIDS PROGRAMS
Orphans have difficulties
raising travel & subsistence
funding to competitions
HIV-AIDS programs can fund
or sponsor local competitions
to support sport at the same
time propagating HIV-AIDS
behavioural change education

23. SUCCESS & FAILURE
INDICATORS

24. SUCCESS INDICATORS

25. FOCUSSING ON CORE
BUSINESS

26. OPEN & INNOCENT ATHLETE
RELATIONSHIPS

27. OPEN & INNOCENT COACH-ATHLETE
RELATIONSHIPS

28. MUTUAL & CONSTRUCTIVE
RELATIONSHIPS

29. RESPECT FOR EACH OTHER

30. CONTENTMENT & HAPPINESS

31. WORKING TOGETHER

32. MORAL SUPPORT
• Open & Guided Boy-Girl Relationships
• Monitored Health
• Shared Problems
• Sound Personal Support Systems

33. SUCCESS AS A GROUP
&
AS INDIVIDUALS

34. FAILURE INDICATORS
FOCUSS ON NON-CORE ACTIVITIES
Bulk of time and energy devoted on sexual
relationships instead of sport and education
Bulk of time spent in alcohol and drug use
instead of sport practice and education
Most energy spent on conflicts and fights
Coaching time spent on resolving conflicts

35. SECRET & CLINDESTINE BOY-GIRL
FRIENDSHIPS
• Seeing each other at secluded places
• Visiting each other in private homes
• Tendency to be alone even at competitions
• Porn texts and pictures on cell phones
• Craving for violent romance and porn films
• Receiving or making too many private calls
• Jittery, evasive & overly sensitive when subject of sex is discussed

36. SUSPICIOUS RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN COACH & ATHLETE
• Coach failing to stamp authority on certain
individual(s)
• Athlete having too many excuses not to train or
follow instructions
• Athlete missing training sessions more often
• Coach being unreasonably too strict on some athletes
during training
• Athlete losing respect for adults and peers

37. PROTRACTED CONFLICTS
• Existence of clicks and groupings with clandestine
agendas
• Existence of investigators and reporters in the
group
• Existence of vigilantes in the group
• OMaMgobhozi (rumour mongers and gossipers)
• Favouritism linked conflicts

38. OVERLOAD OF PERSONAL PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS RELATED TO:
 Poor Relations with parents
 Poor Relations with siblings
 Lack of adequate food & clothing
 Lack of tuition funds
 Physical & sexual abuse by relatives and or by bullies

39. MANIFESTATION OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY
-GIRLS-
• They begin to feel exposed when wearing tights and running shorts.
• They stiffen on a simple hug or pat on the shoulders
• Very uncomfortable when a subject of sex is brought up
• Their looks suddenly become of paramount importance
• Constant illness at training even menstruation become serious illness
• Become rude and disrespectful
• They eventually disappear from sport most often when pregnant

40. MANIFESTATION OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY
-BOYS-
• Become too fascinated by how girls are shaped by training
and competition attire
• Make suggestive comments on every girl that passes by
• Spend hours watching explicit sex or porn movies
• Keep cell phone porn texts and pictures
• Would most often comment on the shape of breasts, hips and
thighs of a girl passing by.
• Would be befriending well-known loose girls
• Chasing after girls takes centre stage, training and
performance goes down
• Can no longer take instructions from club management and
are eventually expelled from clubs

41. INTERVENTION

42. BY COACHES & MANAGEMENT
1
• Should have a close relationship with the
athlete and guardian
• Should conduct regular after training
discussions on pertinent social issues
• Should be sensitive to any signs of change in
behaviours outlined as indicators
• Early intervention will always save most
youths from destructive behaviour

43. BY COACHES & MANAGEMENT
2
• Coaches avoid sexual relationships with athletes
• Engage parents and guardians as early as
possible when there is a sign of a problem
• Invite HIV & AIDS experts occasionally to talk to
athletes in a seminar format
• Involve as many HIV & AIDS organisations as
possible in training and competitions

44. HIV & AIDS ORGANISATIONS
• Leave workshop & seminar rooms and get
involved in the field of sport where the youth
experience daily life challenges
• Address the HIV-AIDS needs together with the
most immediate needs of the sporting youth
• Organise HIV-AIDS based competitions where
athletes’ needs are met in the context of HIV &
AIDS Education
• Challenge clubs to come up with programs that
can be funded to intervene directly in the
victims of HIV & AIDS in athletes’ lives

46. About the Author
This is original work done by VUSUMUZI MLILO, a
Sport & Recreation Officer with the Ministry of
Education, Sport, Arts and Culture in Zimbabwe.
Mlilo is also the manager of Sparrows Athletics Club
in the City of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. He has vast
experience in dealing with youths in Track and Field
as a IAAF Level II Coach. Mlilo also runs a Talent
Identification & Development Project called Devout
Athletes Fellowship which saw one of its youths
qualifying for the 2013 IAAF World Youth
Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. This slide is a
derived from a hands-on experience.