Our Health is Wealth Fellow shares on reducing chronic disease risk through youth empowerment in Gongali village, Tanzania

Inspired by Engage Africa Foundation, I am now determined to strengthen my effort to empower youth in my rural community in Tanzania.

At the beginning it was very hard to assemble youth in my community to give them any relevant information and/or empowerment program. It is until I discoved the secret. The secret is that EVERY youth in my community likes football.

They like to play and watch English Premium League and European League.

Now I want to utilize their passion in football to rescue some of the youth who are seriously affected by risky behaviours such as smoking, drinking alcohol, unprotected sex, and drug abuse.

How does this work? I have established an Empower Community Center in Gongali village where youth have an opportunity to watch football on TV-.they watch their favorite teams play in Europe (eg. Chelsea Vs. Arsenal) BUT first they have to play the same match (imitating European league) at their local playground in Gongali.

In my future blogs, through Engage Africa Foundation's partnership with us in community prevention, I will come with more information on how my innovative solution works - HANG ON!

Ruth E Lukwaro is an Engage Africa Foundation Health is Wealth Fellow and community partner. She is the CEO of Gongali Model Co.Ltd (www.gongalimodel.com). She is a graduate of MBA International business from South Korea. She has an experience of working in diverse organizations, including Deawoo Company in South Korea. She is privileged to be a YALI participant in 2014.