WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — A local NGO, ‘Right to Play’ has donated an assortment of sports materials to youth in Rubavu district. The donation that included 100 soccer balls and 10 computers were handed over on Thursday to their partner, Vision Jeunes Nouvelle, another sports oriented NGO that operates directly with youth.

While handing over the donation, the Right to Play Africa coordinator, Denis Bright called upon parents to give children their right to play.

He said the donation was part of their wide goal to use sport and play to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children, while using computers to get ICT knowledge.

According to Vestine Mukandori, the Right to play district coordinator, the NGO strives for a child’s  basic education and development, health promotion, disease prevention, conflict resolution and community development.

"We bring children together irrespective of their background, they socialise and play. We have personnel who discuss with them various issues such as personal hygiene, unity, and disease prevention,” she said. She added that through sports ‘Right to Play’ can also reduce levels of ethnic divisions by drawing youth together.

"Individuals compete in the same teams and, as a result, they  learn about each other as a people. A number of children turn up for these games and we call upon parents to help us include girls because through sports girls gain control over their own lives,” she noted.

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