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Hundreds of girls’ football players, parents, and community leaders converged at Ngome Stadium on Sunday to celebrate World Cleanup Day with sport, sustainability, and community action.
The event, titled “Play for a Clean Future,” was organized by Women Empowerment Zanzibar (WEZA), a grassroots organization promoting girls’ football and Purposeful Play in Zanzibar.
WEZA uses football to break barriers, teach life skills, and foster leadership among girls of all abilities.
The celebration was supported by the Kym Rapier Foundation and ORYX Energies.
The initiative aligns with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s national Clean Cooking Initiative and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar’s commitment under President Dr. Ali Hassan Mwinyi to expand access to clean cooking energy. It demonstrates how grassroots action can reinforce the shift to safer, healthier, and more sustainable solutions for households.
Dr. Said Mdungi, Director of the Department of Energy and Minerals at the Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals Zanzibar, attended as the Guest of Honour.
He praised WEZA for empowering girls and families through sport and education, highlighting the event’s role in uniting communities to protect the environment and promote sustainable living.
Participants took part in an Oryx Energies Clean Cooking Workshop, which included a stadium cleanup, hands-on gas training, and live cooking demonstrations. Families learned the health, environmental, and financial advantages of switching from charcoal to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
Shuwekha Khamis, General Manager of OryxGas Zanzibar, said: “Our mission goes beyond supplying energy. We want to empower families with safer, healthier, and more sustainable solutions. Clean cooking improves lives, protects the environment, and benefits entire communities.”
A highlight of the day was the donation of 122 LPG starter kits — including cylinders, regulators, and stoves — to families of Zanzibar Sparks players, funded by the Kym Rapier Foundation. In Zanzibar, the high upfront cost of LPG equipment often prevents families from switching from charcoal, despite its health risks and environmental impact. The starter kits removed this barrier, enabling households to cook safely and sustainably.
WEZA girls also took part in a Purposeful Play session, playing a game called “Clean Cooking.” Through fun, interactive exercises, children learned about the dangers of charcoal and firewood and the benefits of cleaner fuels.
Petra Karume, Executive Director and Co-Founder of WEZA, said: “Through Purposeful Play, we teach life lessons as well as football skills. Today’s clean energy education shows how sport and play can drive real social change, empowering girls to become leaders in their families and communities.”
The day concluded with an impressive football display by the Zanzibar Sparks team, earning cheers from the crowd and showcasing the talent of girls’ football.
The event reinforced WEZA’s long-term commitment to developing a generation of empowered girls who can guide their communities toward a cleaner, healthier future in line with President Samia’s national vision.