The old adage that goes ‘ all study with no play makes Jackie a dull girl’ is not as old as commonly said but it’s happening at Response Network. We do not only support school girl pupils with school requirements but also teach them life skills through our sports program. 30 girls in high school participated in a two days Kicking Aids Out (KAO) workshop on 16th and 17th of April, where they were trained as peer leaders. The key component taught was how to use sport as a tool to fight HIV/AIDS. They were also equipped with skills to go out in their communities to influence, help and train their peers in Kicking Aids Out.

The training was facilitated with the help of Steve our Sports Facilitation Officer, and two Youth Sport Exchange Program (YSEP) volunteers (Nyarai from Zimbabwe and Teresa from Norway) who were placed with Response Network for ten months from August 2012 to May 2013. Consequent to the above workshop, the girls formed football, netball and volleyball teams. They meet twice a week for training and they do organize games with other teams in Livingstone. Its very fulfilling to see the determination in the girls during play in mixed color and make shift jerseys. These sports activities will surely prevent the girls from engaging in illicit and dangerous sexual behavior.

We hope to see them get to district and national tournaments and have some end up as professionals in sport which is not so common in Zambia.