Rutendo Chirume
MASVINGO-Yeukai Social Club has donated a set of football jerseys to Flying Eagles FC, a team made up of police officers competing in the Mucheke Social League, in a gesture aimed at strengthening community efforts to fight drug and substance abuse among young people through sport.
Yeukai Social Club, which comprises a soccer team and a snooker team, said the donation forms part of its broader mandate of working with the police and communities to provide positive alternatives for youths vulnerable to drug and substance abuse.
The jerseys were handed over to Flying Eagles FC team manager Paul Charlie, who also serves as chairman of the Mucheke Social League.
Speaking during the handover, Yeukai Social Club team manager Jadson Mhango said the club saw it as its social responsibility to assist Flying Eagles after learning of the challenges they were facing.
“As a club, we have seen that it is our social responsibility to support our brothers when they face challenges. Flying Eagles approached us with their challenge and, as a social club, we took on that responsibility for the Masvingo community and felt honoured to do so,” said Mhango.
He said the club’s vision goes beyond sport and seeks to use football and snooker to influence positive behaviour among young people.
“As a community, we are taking every responsibility as our own because we want Masvingo to be a safe place. Football gives us a platform to make a difference beyond the pitch.”
Mhango added that one of Yeukai Social Club’s mandates is to work closely with the police to discourage the increasing intake of drugs by youths.
“We believe sport provides young people with purpose, discipline and a sense of belonging. By engaging them in football, snooker and other activities, we can help steer them away from drugs and substance abuse,” he said.
Receiving the donation, Flying Eagles FC team manager Paul Charlie said the jerseys would significantly boost the team’s operations and help attract more young people into organised sporting activities.
“This donation will go a long way in helping us fulfil our fixtures because we did not have a full kit for our players. It comes at the right time and gives our team a sense of identity and pride,” said Charlie.
He said the Mucheke Social League had become an important community initiative in keeping youths away from harmful activities.
“The Mucheke Social League has many teams, and this is a first step at community level in using sport to remove youths from the streets. The unveiling of these jerseys will draw more young people who will want to be part of our club instead of engaging in negative activities.”
Charlie applauded Yeukai Social Club for supporting the team’s vision and joining hands with the police-led initiative to tackle drug and substance abuse.
“We thank Yeukai Social Club for this gesture and for embracing the purpose of fighting against drugs and substance abuse. This partnership shows that communities can work together to protect our youths and create a better future through sport,” he said.
For Yeukai Social Club and Flying Eagles FC, the jersey handover represents more than a sporting donation—it is a community statement that the fight against drugs requires collective action, and that the playing field can be a powerful platform for changing lives.
