Staff Writer
ENTREPRENEUR cum- development practitioner and Village Hope Football Academy (VHFA) Founder and Director Paddington T. Shereni has expressed a desire to uplift underprivileged youths, through sport and viable business projects.
Shereni, who holds a Masters in Development Studies, attained from the Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU) has had a significant impact on youth development in Christon Bank for a period spanning over two (2) decades.
Speaking in an interview with members of the media on the sidelines of the recently held Forza Bhora Friends Invitational Tournament held at the Celebration Centre, in Harare, the development practitioner laid out his vision for the VHFA.
“Youths from underprivileged backgrounds rarely have a chance to mix and mingle with those from well-up backgrounds.
“This opportunity (Forza Bhora Friends Invitational Tournament) presents an opportunity for youths from Christon Bank to liaise with those from different and affluent backgrounds as we are all one.
“Personally, I want to see our youths stamping out the inferiority syndrome.
“It’s one of the things that keep our youths down, emotionally, hence eventually they won’t feel like they belong to anything big when they are grown ups,” said a thoughtful Shereni.
The VHFA is a new entity, established late last year with vision to not only stamp out drug and substance abuse, but also to engage youths in meaningful extra-curricular activities that may help shape their future after school.
“Apart from this Village Hope U15 team’s participation at this tourney, we have a number of lined-up initiatives and tournaments where the team will participate.
“I am glad to inform you that this academy will be run by the school and players are our own students who hail from our community.
“A professional and experienced coaching staff has been put in place and we are confident of this new path that we have taken as an institution,” he added.
Shereni’s impact in development of the Christon Bank community cannot be underestimated as the Village Hope School has many orphans under it’s wings, while he also holds feeding programmes for the less privileged members of the bubbling community.
The development practitioner runs the school together with his wife, as his co-director.