Elimu Yetu Bonanza nurtures sports talent

ARUSHA: MORE than 400 children took part in the third Elimu Yetu Bonanza in Arusha, an initiative aimed at identifying, nurturing and promoting young sporting talent by providing street-based players with a platform to develop their skills and pursue opportunities at regional, national and international levels.

The annual event, organised by Elimu Yetu Development Organisation, has now entered its third season, with organisers expanding the range of sporting and cultural activities offered to young people.

Elimu Yetu Development Organisation Director Amos Kasalamba said the bonanza was designed to identify promising youngsters, particularly those playing sports informally in the streets and help them access opportunities that could advance their careers.

He said more than seven football teams, including street-based players, participated in the event, with some talented youngsters already joining specialised academies while others had received assistance to establish their own teams.

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“We want to introduce more games and challenging activities to young people, especially children, who can now master chess games that require a high intelligence quotient,” Kasalamba said.

For the first time, the bonanza also featured Bao, a traditional board game commonly associated with elders.

Kasalamba said inclusion of Bao was part of efforts to expose children to traditional games while encouraging them to develop their intellectual abilities.

More than 12 sporting and recreational activities were featured, including football, netball, chess, tug-of-war, sprinting, Bao, draft, chicken pursuing, card games and dancing competitions.

The activities were held at two venues: Tindigani Grounds in Kijenge Juu and Kimandolu Primary School grounds.

Elimu Yetu Culture, Arts and Sports Manager Shila Laizer said introducing Bao was also intended to create a link between older people and the younger generation by enabling children to learn traditional skills, wisdom and games from their elders.

She added that the organisation also provides free educational programmes and foreignlanguage courses to local youth.

Kijenge Primary School sports master Mwinyi Rajab Sudi said sport was no longer merely a form of entertainment but had increasingly become a source of employment and wealth creation. “That is why we are now encouraging sports in our schools,” Sudi said.

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