Zimbabwe’s Rutendo finds unity on the pitch in Tanzania
“It’s like we’re eight different kids with one mum, doing everything in unity.”
|Rutendo Kuseka represented Zimbabwe at the Africa Women’s Cup in Arusha, Tanzania
At the Africa Women’s Cup held in Tanzania in June 2024, with Shakira ‘Waka Waka - This is Africa’ playing in the background and games taking place around us, we spoke to Rutendo Kuseka - a teacher and school administrator, and Zimbabwe’s goalkeeper.
“Being here in Arusha has been amazing. People from different nations and different cultures, dancing together, it’s like we’re coming out of one home, we’re like eight different kids with one mum, doing everything in unity.
“When you hear about The Homeless World Cup, I think we have a different perception about what homelessness is, and yet it’s just a group of people coming together to showcase how best they can have fun and leave those sorrows and stresses back home. This place has been wonderful and welcoming and world-changing for me personally.”
Growing up as a young woman in Gweru in economically unstable rural Zimbabwe, life was challenging for Rutendo. After her father died when she was seven years old, her family started to struggle even more. When she lost her job in 2012, she didn’t know where to turn. Then she found Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD).
Founded in 2005 in response to the forced displacement of people in Zimbabwe and subsequent school dropouts, YASD provided a safe place for children and young people to participate in sports and avoid early marriage, prostitution, drugs, and crime. Now, they organise Zimbabwe’s participation in The Homeless World Cup.
“The road has been tough but I thank God for meeting up with YASD. They have really changed my life and the way I see life. Sometimes you have got no hope, you think what can I get out of this? But I’ve got a lot. I’ve got a family. I’ve got peace. I’ve got a new way of thinking about life. Leaving my issues behind and actually focusing on tomorrow.”
Seeing the children playing football with smiles on their faces, helped put Rutendo’s own circumstances into perspective and gave her a new direction - to help young people lead healthy, happy and safe lives. Rutendo went on to complete a degree in Early Childhood Development and a Masters in Early Childhood Administration.
“If we all come together then change will definitely come”
Rutendo [centre] Image: Stephen Andrews
Rutendo’s involvement in sport has provided her with a safe, joyous space away from the difficulties of home.
“Sport is not only about having fun. I’ve learnt a lot through sport. I’ve learnt menstrual health through sport. I’ve learnt to overcome mental health through sport. If we change the way we think about sport, if we can unite and get ideas from everyone, if we all come together, then change will definitely come.”
Rutendo is also pushing for change in Zimbabwe and how the nation looks at gender-based violence.
“As a woman you are expected to be on top of everything in Africa. You are the mother, you are everything, and when things don’t go right, our male partners now take it out on us. So they have used soccer in a really interesting way, that you are now able to speak up.”
“Gender based violence does not only affect the woman, it also affects the child – it’s also affecting the household and our workplaces.”
In January 2024 a two-year programme ‘Football to protect vulnerable women from exploitation’- was launched to share knowledge and raise awareness of gender-based violence. The programme is supported by the FIFA Foundation and is delivered in collaboration with four African Homeless World Cup member countries - Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, and Kenya. YASD lead the involvement of Team Zimbabwe.
|Zimbabwe won the Fair Play Award at the Africa Women’s Cup
Rutendo explains these programmes are extremely positive and using sport as a vehicle for change and being implemented “from the top” allows change to reach all the way to grass-roots level.
“Sport is the best way to communicate because they bring everyone together and what better way is there to say these things [than] when everyone is there?”
YASD run programmes teaching women and children how to address gender-based violence, giving them space to share their experiences and gain support.
“It has been so amazing being able to talk to other women, because most of the time we have been trained as African women - things that happen at home, stay at home. So when you’re beaten at home you don’t tell anyone, you have to suck it up. With all the pressures, you are being beaten, and then stress at work and children crying, things are hard. So now we are just learning how to pass that ball around and pass out that stress that you’re going through.”
Speaking about Team Zimbabwe, Rutendo explains how older players take on a mentoring role for the younger players. Many of the young women at YASD are running away from gender-based violence at home. For many of these girls, marriage seems like the only way out, but Rutendo and others on the team want to show them that this is not the only option.
“We have been mentoring them that marriage is not everything, you have got a brighter future if you pursue your career, pursue that sport. Some of us gave up too early, but we thank God that now we have the opportunity to rise. I am testament [to that] - I rose above the situation I went through.”
Looking to the future, Rutendo emphasises the importance of those in high-up positions leading the change and forging different attitudes to gender-based violence. She explains how the tournament encourages discussion with other countries around their own initiatives to combat gender-based violence.
“Each country has their own way of overcoming their situations, so I take it as a learning curve to see how South Africa, Uganda and other countries are doing it.”
“The organisers of this tournament might not realise the impact they have. I’ve seen young kids back home when they see us coming to play soccer with them - the smile that they’re putting onto these little ones, these women and the men. It’s lifting a weight that they have, and they might think it’s a small thing, but really, it’s a great thing.”
The Africa Women’s Cup took place in Arusha in Tanzania from 29-30th June 2024. Rutendo played for Zimbabwe which is represented by Young Achievement Sports for Development (YASD).
The tournament is part of a two-year FIFA Foundation funded programme which is bringing together four African Homeless World Cup member countries – Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – to raise awareness of gender-based violence and develop and implement a new curriculum to help protect vulnerable women.
Words: Rachel Aschaber