Sport can be a powerful tool for personal and social growth.
Watipa is working in partnership with the Malawi Rowing Federation to start a project that will expand the sport of rowing in Malawi and work towards transforming gender inequality.
Rowing is a new sport in Malawi. Using rowing as a tool for development, young women and girls will benefit by being supported to reach their full potential by increasing their self confidence, raising aspirations, improving fitness, gaining peer support, reducing social isolation and developing transferable skills. We will also work with peer groups, including young men and boys, to create circles of support to sustain the transformed gender norms that will be co-created throughout the project.
The effects of working with sport and community development in Malawi that we expect to see are:
- Increased self-confidence for young women and girls
- Develop the sport of rowing in Malawi
- Broaden the local and international connections of the Malawi Rowing Federation, and outreach to potential athletes at a national level, while also building the capacity of youth groups to use community rowing.
- Generate and inspire a “Strong Girls” campaign to reduce gender stereotypes that have a negative impact on women and girls
- Engaged circles of support to sustain gender equity, by working with the Traditional Authorities and other community leaders, to sustain a positive influence in girl’s lives.
As a guide, here is an idea of how your generous donation translates to support for a sports based community development programme:
- £10 = appropriate training cloths for one team member.
- £100 = boat maintenance and repairs such as resin to patch holes or new screws to attach the riggers of the boat.
- £500 = a training camp for 20 local people for one week at the lakeshore.
- £5,000 = transportation costs to secure the delivery of second hand boats donated from other countries to support the development of rowing in Malawi.
You can give the gift of education through sport directly through this website, and set up a recurring monthly or once off donation today.