Zimbabwe: A University Professor Uses Volleyball to Teach Life-Saving Skills to Youths

In this episode, Africanist Press Podcast Service looks at the work of the Pathfinders Volleyball Academy in Gweru, a city in Zimbabwe's Midlands Province, and how one Zimbabwean academic is using volleyball to address socioeconomic challenges facing impoverished and vulnerable youths. Dr. Hugh Mangeya is Chairperson of the Department of Media, Communication, Film and Theater Arts Studies at Midlands State University (MSU) in Zimbabwe. His research focuses on the use of humor in strategic communication programs and as an alternative mediation tool. Dr. Mangeya is founder and coach of the Pathfinders Volleyball Academy, which uses volleyball as a social intervention mechanism to teach young people the values of community service, self-discipline, the importance of daily exercise, and various leadership skills. In this exclusive interview, he tells the story of the Pathfinders Volleyball Academy, his vision for youths in Gweru, and the challenges his youth intervention program is currently facing. The interview was conducted in Gweru, Zimbabwe by Africanist Press editor, Chernoh Alpha Bah. This episode is part of a new Africanist Press Series on Zimbabwe that examines the impact of economic sanctions on various sectors of the population, and how communities and individuals in the country have developed independent initiatives in response to everyday challenges.