The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation (UMF) in South Africa has chosen 48 boys from Qina for a sports development programme – an initiative meant to combat gender-based violence (GBV).
Development Diaries reports that the main aim of the programme is to foster responsible and compassionate young men.
The rape and murder of the 19-year-old University of Cape Town student, Uyinene Mrwetyana, inside a post office in Claremont, Cape Town, in August 2019 led to nationwide protests.
As a result, the UMF was established to honour her memory and aims to have a meaningful impact on reducing the high rate of violence against women in South Africa.
The University of Reading, in a 2022 report on GBV, found that close to 10,000 rapes occur every quarter in South Africa.
According to Nomangwane Mrwetyana, the mother of the late Uyinene and co-founder of the foundation, UMF aims to ensure young men are educated through sports.
‘Our mission is to equip the youth who will become positive agents of change in their communities’, she said.
Mrwetyana also noted that they are relying on research that shows that sports play a vital role in promoting critical thinking, leadership, conflict management, fair play, and respect.
Photo source: Supplied
