By Patuma Salimu Shamva – In a creative way to commemorate 16 days of activism, Madziwa Mine Secondary School Tuseme Club hosted a girls’ soccer cup match to raise awareness about ending child marriages, drug abuse, and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) The school stormed to an emphatic two-nil victory against their visitors Madziwa Mine Teachers’ College The match was held under the theme, “Kick out child marriages, Kick start education”, and the rules of the soccer game were redefined to advocate for ending child marriages, drug abuse, and Violence Against Women and Girls. The red card symbolized a clear no to child marriages while the yellow card meant a warning to perpetrators with the video assistant referee (VAR) standing for those who watch out against child marriages and raise the alarm. The event started with a march where students, teachers, and stakeholders paraded with banners to raise awareness about ending child marriages, drug abuse, and Violence Against Women and Girls. Gilbert Marufu, Madziwa Mine Secondary Headmaster, noted that the main idea of the soccer cup was to raise awareness on kicking out child marriages, drug abuse, and Violence Against Women and Girls. “We thought if we can use something interesting to learners and the community, they would easily understand the message as child marriages, drug abuse, and Violence Against Women and Girls are affecting some of our learners. Some miss classes every now and then.” Enet Tini, Madziwa Mine Secondary, Tuseme Club mentor said they used soccer as a crowd puller to get their message across and noted that the Tuseme Club uses various creative ways to communicate their messages including poetry, drama, and music. “Soccer is a crowd puller and it gives us the opportunity or the platform to talk about child safeguarding,” She said. “We are trying to bridge the gap in recreational time between men and women, having found that men generally have more leisure time. Through playing soccer, girls and women can create time to relax and refresh so that they are not overwhelmed by the demands of household chores and caregiving responsibilities.” The two-nil victory was more than a win for the school, the Tuseme Club turned a game into an advocacy platform. The symbolic red and yellow cards, the triumphant march, and the creative redefinition of the rules showcased how sport can bridge gaps and inspire change.