“I want to change my society, I want to change my community”
|Namatai Notah [front row second from right] with the Zimbabwean team Image: Robin Wesley van Dieman
Namatai Notah is a keen footballer from Zimbabwe. He represented his country at the African Street Football Cup in September 2022.
Namatai’s life has not easy. He grew up poor and from a young age, had the responsibility of being the sole breadwinner, as his parents were too old to work.
Namatai went to primary and secondary school, however at 16 he had to drop out as his parents could no longer afford the fees. He’d previously planned to continue his education, but just like that, his education stopped. Wanting to reach his full potential, and create as many chances for himself as possible, without the chance to continue his studies he felt hopeless.
However, it was at this point that he was introduced to street soccer, which gave him hope that he could pursue a career in football. Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD) is a non-profit, community-based organisation which gives young people like Namatai the boost they need: “They gave me almost everything I have providing me shelter, food and clothes”, Namatai explains.
He now lives with seven other people since becoming part of YASD. They all share the same passion for the beautiful game and play football every day.
When asked if he would like to go back to studying, he emphasised that if he was given the opportunity he would absolutely go back into education. He hopes one day to study law or social work. He’s seen first hand the impact drugs and gender based violence can have on people, as he saw this in the community he grew up in. He’s determined to make a positive impact with his life; “I want to change my society, I want to change my community”, he said.
In the meantime, he is using football as a stepping stone and hopes to become a referee or a coach.
Namatai still has regular contact with his family and often travels 45 minutes on a bus every weekend to see them. He has four siblings all varying in age however, the breadwinner title has passed on to his younger brother who sells food/vegetables to help the family survive.
He explains, that in Zimbabwe if you do not have a professional job, one of the only other ways to make a living is selling items on the streets. Zimbabwe has high rates of unemployment, disproportionately affecting young people aged 16-25.
Namatai had a good experience at the African championship, meeting new people and getting to know his YASD team better.
Find out more about Young Achievement Sports for Development - and their work supporting players like Namatai.
Words: Anna Craig
Images: Zoe Hopkins