Mubanga Chirwa is a 15-year old boy, originally from Chipata in the Eastern Province of Zambia. He now lives in Lusaka, attends school, and recently graduated from the Grassroot Soccer program.
Soccer is Mubanga’s favorite hobby – he started playing when he was 8 years old, and as he puts it, “When I play soccer, I feel like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.” As a teenager, he faces many pressures, some of which he gave into in the past. He started drinking and smoking, and eventually became addicted to alcohol. He credits Grassroot Soccer as the catalyst for changing his life and making healthy decisions.
Inonge Mulubhushi, GRS Coach, has been a positive influence in Mubanga’s life. “Coach Inonge has really affected my life in a good way. I realize that there is more to life than just alcohol and drugs,” he says. “I really look up to Coach Inonge. She’s a real role model.”
As part of his new-found outlook, Mubanga chose to have a voluntary HIV test at a GRS graduation testing event. These events are one way that GRS is making HIV testing easily accessible for our students. Through strong relationships with testing partners, students such as Mubanga can access testing services in their own community, and receive results quickly in a private and supportive atmosphere.
Mubanga feels that his future is bright after evaluating his risky behavior and learning valuable life-skills in the GRS program. He has committed to sharing this knowledge with friends and family to improve his community. In his words, “I would really love to be a good role model.”
Coach's Story