The project SHARP (Sexual Health and Adolescents Risk Prevention) is a demonstration model of using sports to realise developmental objectives. It aims at creating an enabling environment that addresses underlying factors to young people’s poor health outcomes, by focusing on social, cultural, political, structural and economic factors that put young people at risk of HIV and unwanted pregnancies. Unsafe sex, sexual coercion, early pregnancy, forced and early marriages, stigma and discrimination, community views on sexuality issues, increase adolescents and young girls vulnerability and pose barrier to their access to SRH and rights information and services. SHARP provides a fun and creative sports model to address this.

Binti mwenye ndoto ni kiboko – A girl with dreams is an extraordinary Girl

20 girls from low-income households were trained on how to start and improve their businesses. Out of the trained girls, 9 have been able to develop business plans while 11 requested for more support on writing a business plan.

YES – TZ is planning to link the girls with completed business plans to stakeholders who are willing to support them in starting their dream businesses. All participants appreciated the fact that their skills in building savings increased as compared to before.

During the project period, 162 football matches were played. Therefore, 162 sessions on sexual and reproductive health and rights-related topics were delivered through sports. This included life skills, teenage pregnancies, HIV and AIDS, STIs, GBV, human rights, gender equality and family planning.

9 sports clubs were established by YES -TZ volunteers in 9 wards. The clubs have helped young people in building their leadership skills, encouraging them to take up responsibility, developing organizational and communication skills and above all, increasing their confidence and self-worth.

At the start of the project, 20 adolescent girls were enrolled to benefit from the training by YES-TZ. The girls were given Human Rights training, specifically focusing on the Convection on the Rights of the Children (CRC). During the first quarter of the project, adolescent girls were also trained on how and where to report violence. Common violence against children in Mbeya and Songwe region includes sexual, physical, and emotional violence. By the end of this project, 13 out of the 20 girls trained reported that they were listened to and consulted on issues affecting them by their parents and relatives.