IMPACT | BETTER STORYTELLING IN ZIMBABWE
Following the completion of an intensive three month course at the Zimbabwe School of Journalism, we are delighted to share an update from one of our partners, Munyaradzi Gwanzura of MWC Sport, on how equitysport is delivering impact through direct collaboration with local change-makers around the world of sport.
At equitysport, we approach our work as solidarians not saviours. For too long, those from marginalised, under-served or excluded groups in sport have been treated as 'problems to be solved'. Too often this has seen people deprived of their inherent right to self-determination and seen their collective destiny designed and delivered by others.
We believe that the substantive progress we seek in sport is only possible when it's guided by the egalitarian principles of partnership, solidarity and empowerment.
We do not seek to represent or speak on behalf of any particular group or community within global sport. In fact, at equitysport, we believe that more often than not, speaking on behalf of others is a flawed theory of change; one that can act to embed social hierarchies and entrench imbalanced power structures between partners.
Our programmatic focus is always to prioritise giving direct support to traditionally under-served, excluded and disadvantaged groups and communities; working in solidarity with people that sport has chosen to leave behind, not for them or instead of them. Our programmes are designed to provide local people and local organisations with equitable access to the tools, training and resources required to conceive and deliver lasting solutions, not short term relief, to the most pressing challenges in any given locality.
Back in the Spring of 2022, Munyaradzi Gwanzura (pictured left below) received a grant through the equitysport 'Professional Development Programme' to enrol in a specialist sports journalism course with the Zimbabwe School of Journalism.
The grant was awarded to Munyaradzi to complete the prestigious course with the express goal of arming Munyaradzi, and his grassroots organisation, MWC Sport, with the tools that they need to tell their own story, in their own words, and on their own terms.
As Munyaradzi eludes to in the short video above, the course has already seen success through the development of effective social media campaigning on behalf of Zimbabwe Athletics and facilitated the development of further local partnerships to extend opportunities across Zimbabwe through sport. Most recently, the newly honed communication and story-telling skills have seen MWC Sport successfully plan, launch and succeed in an ambitious fundraising campaign on behalf of the Zimbabwean sprinter, Michelle Zuze, which saw Michelle travel to Mauritius for the African Senior Championships 2022!
For more on our values-led approach to change in sport, click here.
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equitysport is a values-led registered charity (1189559) that exists to advance equality, promote diversity and extend equal opportunity in and through global sport. We seek an inclusive and equitable sporting ecosystem that lives true to the values of sport.
For interviews or further comment from equitysport, please contact the team via hello@equitysport.org