Nyumba ni choo campaign takes ‘modernity message’ to football fans
Sports have proved to be one of the major tools of bringing people together in support of various courses in society. Nyumba ni choo campaign has used sports and football platform in particular to reach a wide range of people, especially men who are both football fans and decision-makers in their households. The campaign collaborated with Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and the organizers of Ndondo Cup 2019 tournament on different occasions to promote the campaign to the football community in Tanzania.
TFF engagement with Nyumba ni choo campaign
In August 2019, the partnership with Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) aimed at encouraging the construction of better toilets through the community shield game between Simba and Azam. The match was held at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium which holds approximately 60,000 fans seated and televised directly by the TV stations. This was a special occasion for the opening of the new Premier League season on the mainland. Nyumba ni choo message was reflected on the display platforms of the national stadium, the T-shirts of the stadium staff and the referee’s jersey. Through this engagement referee’s jerseys will have Nyumba ni choo message in the tournament 2019-2020.
Goodwill ambassador
Football as the major sport liked by youth in Tanzania was a reason behind the campaign’s current intervention of partnering with Kelvin John as a Goodwill Ambassador. He is not a new name among thousands of Tanzania football fans. At the age of 16, he has already earned 4 national team call-ups, becoming the top scorer during 2019 Under-20 CECAFA tournament and winning best player at the AFRICON U-17 tournament.
Kelvin is now on a full scholarship to study a diploma at Brook House College in Leicester, UK until he reaches 18 years of age when he will start to play professional football. Being able to showcase the journey of Kelvin from rural Morogoro, to attend college in the United Kingdom, play for the National Team at 16 years of age is a story of hope and attainment through hard work, commitment and will.
Kelvin serves as a platform for Nyumba ni choo to communicate to youth both in-country and internationally on developmental issues specifically sanitation and inspiring youth to reach their goals.
Ndondo Cup mobilization
Campaign messages were mobilized in eight streets starting from the quarter-finals of Ndondo cup tournament whereby the participating team, health officers and local chairpersons passed through their streets to encourage the construction of better toilets. The popular Clouds channel presenter, Mbwiga Mbwiguke was an activation leader because of his influence in football. One mobilization meeting gathered approximately 100 to 200 people who participated in answering various questions and given gifts of t-shirts with the message ‘usichukulie poa nyumba ni choo’.
Ndondo Cup tournament consisted of a special prize for the ‘modern street’. This was the honorary award for the team that came from the streets with the highest rate of improved toilets. The award aimed at reinforcing the idea modernity in promoting sanitation in Dar-es-salaam. Ninga FC team from Keko streets won the modern team after defeating other 8 teams. Apart from being a street with improved toilets, the businessmen in Keko built a nice public toilet which is used for free by the people in the area.
Both TFF and Ndondo Cup engagements have created an intermediate outcome in other regions to use sports in delivering the campaign message in their areas. This has been a case in Kagera and Songwe region in which health officers have used football leagues is to encourage the construction of better toilets.
