Some girls wore proper football boots. Others played in sneakers. A few ran barefoot across the dusty pitch of Madziwa Teachers’ College in Shamva. But on that day, it didn’t matter what they were wearing. What mattered was the message they were sending: child marriages have no place in their communities.
As the whistle blew, the girls charged forward, their energy, their laughter, and their determination louder than the stigma that had long shadowed their lives. Each kick of the ball was a small act of rebellion.
For many girls in rural Zimbabwe, childhood is short-lived. Poverty bites hard, and traditions weigh heavily.
By the age of 14 or 15, some girls are pulled out of school and married off — often to older men who work in nearby informal gold mines. The promise of money or food lures desperate families. Others fall pregnant after relationships with makorokoza miners, and once that happens, school is rarely an option again.
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The statistics tell the story clearly: 34% of girls in Zimbabwe are married before they turn 18 (UNICEF). In Shamva, the figure is believed to be even higher. With child marriage comes a ripple of hardships — girls are more likely to experience domestic violence, face life-threatening complications during childbirth, and lose the chance to earn a living.
In communities where survival often takes precedence over education, the girl child bears a heavier burden.
The football tournament, organised by Goals and Girls, was more than a game. It was a declaration of courage, a public stand against early marriage and teenage pregnancy, and a celebration of girls’ strength, skill, and determination.
However, in Shamva, a quiet revolution is unfolding on the football pitch and at the Chiefs’ Kraal.
The Chiefs were taking a stand, showing that tradition could be a shield rather than a chain.
Among the spectators was Chief Bushu, speaking on behalf of Shamva’s traditional leaders.
Chief Bushu (r) speaking during the closing ceremony
“As chiefs, we are united. No child in our villages should be married off or fall victim to a teenage pregnancy. We will not tolerate child marriages, and perpetrators will be brought to book,” he said, his words ringing out across the field.
“We will not allow child marriages in our villages. We want these girls in school, not in marriage,” he retorted.
At the Goals and Girls tournament, dozens of teenage girls laced their boots, tied their braids, and ran onto the field, cheered on by their peers, teachers, and even traditional leaders.
“We are playing for our futures,” said 15-year-old Melody, who played barefoot. “When I’m on the field, I feel powerful. I want to finish school and become a teacher. I don’t want to get married early like my cousin. She stopped school and now life is hard for her.”
This shift matters. For years, cultural norms kept elders silent, sometimes even complicit. Now, by supporting the girls’ tournament, chiefs are showing the community that tradition can protect rather than harm.
For the girls on the field, football was about more than fitness or fun. It was empowerment. It was about learning that their choices mattered, that their dreams mattered, and that they could fight for their future.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you,” said 15-year-old Hilda. “What matters is that we are here. We are playing for ourselves, for our friends, and for every girl who wants to go to school instead of getting married too early.”
Sixteen-year-old Lovejoy, who was named player of the tournament, added: “Every kick, every goal, is a message. We are showing everyone that girls belong in school, not in marriage. We are strong, and we can decide our own future.”
Sixteen-year-old Lovejoy, was named player of the tournament
The tournament was organised by Goals and Girls, a grassroots organisation dedicated to empowering young girls through sports. Co-founder Farirai Gumbonzvanda told 263Chat:
“We want girls to excel in school and in sports. Football teaches confidence, teamwork, and leadership. When girls play, they learn they can overcome challenges and make choices for themselves. It’s about more than a game — it’s about life.”
The event also received support from the MTC EDUCATE A Girl INC, an organisation which provides scholarships and mentorship for girls in rural areas, helping them stay in school and resist early marriage pressures.
The role of traditional leaders has been crucial. Shamva chiefs, once silent or passive, are now actively working to protect girls. Chief Bushu emphasised that the tournament was part of a broader community effort:
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“This is the beginning of a new culture. Every girl in our villages should have the chance to go to school, to play, to dream. Marriage will not take her childhood away.”
Shamva has seen progress thanks to organisations like the Rozaria Memorial Trust (RMT), led by Dr. Nyaradzai Gumbonzvanda.
RMT works with Chiefs and communities to ensure that Zimbabwe’s 2016 ban on child marriage becomes a reality in the lives of girls.
For girls like Lovejoy, this belief is everything. It is what keeps them walking to school each day despite hunger. It is what keeps them saying “no” when older men offer gifts in exchange for relationships. It is what keeps them lacing up or going barefoot to play.
As the sun dipped over Shamva and the last whistle blew, the girls danced and laughed, their dusty faces glowing with pride.
On that field, even for just one day, they were not potential brides or statistics. They were footballers. Fighters. Free.
And they had kicked child marriage, at least symbolically, far off the field.
