Telecommunications giant Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has signed a three-year partnership with Grassroots Cricket aimed at bringing cricket to children in disadvantaged areas.
The partnership will see Econet providing a US$60 000 grant that will enable Grassroots Cricket’s Cricket for Hope program to establish a cricket league among secondary schools in high-density areas such as Hatcliffe.
“We are extremely grateful to Econet for partnering with Grassroots Cricket. It shows how corporations in Zimbabwe and overseas are able to share our vision to use cricket to inspire positive community changes,” said Grassroots Cricket founder Tawanda Karasa.
“Many of the kids who benefit from Grassroots Cricket for Hope projects are orphans or school dropouts. Cricket gives them a focus and has a positive impact on their health and self-confidence.”
Econet Deputy CEO, Roy Chimanikire, said the grant to Grassroots Cricket’s Cricket for Hope programme was in line with the mobile telecoms and technology company’s social impact investment tradition.
“We are delighted to support a project that takes the game of cricket to young people in communities such as Haticliffe, Hopely, and Mbare, and equips them with critical life skills and values,” Chimanikire said.
“As a company, our investment in social impact programmes, particularly those
targeted at vulnerable children and young people, goes back for decades, especially in the area of education.”“Our partnership with Cricket for Hope continues that tradition,” went on Chimanikire.
Grassroots Cricket is targeting to reach out to 15 000 boys and girls, aged between 5 and 19 years by 2023 and use cricket as a means to positively engage young people in promoting good health and education.
Grassroots Cricket president Adrian Oosthuizen said the project will be implemented in Harare (Hatcliffe, Hopely, and Mbare) and in Bulawayo targeting to recruit and train 50 coaches who will undertake training on the Cricket for Hope Project.
“Through the support and solid commitment of corporations like Econet we are able to implement our projects and get kids out there enjoying the game that we love,” Oosthuizen said.
“The past three years have been tough on everybody worldwide as we have faced the global pandemic. So this support from Econet Wireless comes at a time it will really benefit those young people who may have been overlooked in these tough times.”
The Econet grant to Grassroots Cricket comes at a time when the organization is set to receive cricket equipment from Australia, generously donated by companies and cricket supporters in that country.
The academy will also soon receive another consignment from the leading British sports charity Lord’s Taverners.
