[ti:Zimbabwe Rugby Teams Help Keep Girls off Street]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:02.16]Rugby is often played in the wealthy areas
[00:06.44]outside of Zimbabwe's major cities.
[00:11.20]Now the sport has moved into poor areas
[00:15.32]where young women are playing
[00:17.84]to escape from poverty and early marriage.
[00:22.84]Organizers of the rugby clubs say playing rugby
[00:27.64]will not ease their economic struggles.
[00:31.20]But, they hope it can provide a place
[00:35.12]for young women to go instead of spending time in the streets.
[00:42.56]Zimbabwe's economy is weak.
[00:45.52]There are fewer jobs than before.
[00:48.68]And the value of Zimbabwean money is falling fast.
[00:54.76]The area of Domboshava is only 27 kilometers
[01:00.04]from Harare, the capital city.
[01:04.16]It is a center for the transportation of farm produce
[01:08.72]like vegetables and fruit.
[01:11.52]But the area is also a center for sex work
[01:16.08]where young girls would make as little as two dollars.
[01:21.68]Takudzwa Ngirazi coaches the all-female
[01:26.52]Zimbiru Academy Rugby Club in Domboshava.
[01:31.48]He said he wanted the girls "to stay away from the streets."
[01:37.88]Caroline Makari is the 46-year-old team manager.
[01:42.52]She said, "If (the girls) are training four days a week
[01:47.24]and they have a game on Saturday,
[01:50.56]it gives them very little time to think about anything else."
[01:56.88]Twenty-year-old Bridget Magasu
[01:59.60]is one of the players on the Zimbiru team.
[02:03.80]Most of the young women are from poor families.
[02:08.36]Many had never touched a rugby ball a few years ago.
[02:13.00]Now Zimbiru is part of a 15-team league.
[02:18.80]Magasu spoke with reporters from Reuters during practice
[02:24.08]at the Zimbiru Primary School in Domboshava.
[02:29.04]"Rugby has changed my life
[02:31.92]because I spend most of my time at the ground.
[02:35.96]This protects me (from) other social ills
[02:39.48]like drugs and substance abuse," she said.
[02:44.72]Their training sessions include running,
[02:47.64]passing and fighting for the ball called a "scrum."
[02:53.40]Since there is little to no financial support for the teams,
[02:58.40]all of this is done on a limited budget.
[03:02.48]The girls eat sugarcane for quick energy during training.
[03:07.48]"Sometimes during our games, we go with no food.
[03:12.20]Funding bus fares is also hard for us," Ngirazi said.
[03:18.84]Four of Zimbiru's players have made it
[03:22.04]to Zimbabwe's under-20 and under-18 teams.
[03:29.04]I'm Faith Pirlo. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM