SHUKUMA ESWATINI
Shukuma Eswatini is the ‘flagship’ program of the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council. Shukuma fulfils an important function in both the social and sporting landscape in Eswatini.
Although established primarily as a social development tool, seeking empower local communities, through Tinkhundla centres, its scope has quickly extended to fill a void left by limited sporting and recreation activities available to the broader community. It also aims at creating participation opportunities in sport/physical activity and the recreation for people of all ages and gender groups.
Shukuma provides an excellent platform for our recognised sport and recreation bodies to their respective sport codes. In collaboration with these has resulted in growth in numbers of people participating in some of these sports codes.
Shukuma also provides an excellent platform for communities to tackle other socio-economic issues affecting communities as activities are infused with life skill education. For example, festivals are hosted periodically at respective targeted Tinkhundla or on invited by Inkhundla administration.
A majority if not all of Emaswati now have an idea of what Shukuma, our mass participation flagship programme is all about.
Well, this invigorating programme has revolved and turned full circle in recent weeks, thanks largely to the dynamism, vitality and ingenuity of the ESRC Chief Executive Officer and the Board, for growing and turning the programme around.
Besides the programme being our flagship one, it has now been mellowed and evolved to become the premium platform for public engagement. Shukuma Eswatini is now the leading platform for engagement with the masses in Eswatini. One cannot ask for any better forum. True to the country’s political dispensation, Shukuma is staged in the different political constituencies (Tinkhundla Centres) where most of our people are based.
Dear reader, you may be wondering exactly how has the programme evolved? Simple, the evolution is in respect of public engagement that serves to drive the holistic mandate of our parent Ministry which forms part of the national development goals. At our shukuma activations, the public engagement is now in three (3) folds namely: a) promotion of an active body through sports and physical activities through the Sports & Recreation Council; b) propagation of an active body through cultural dances and art by courtesy of the Arts & Culture Council and c) provision of entrepreneurship information, funding and opportunities through the Youth & Revolving Fund office.
It is almost unbelievable what the programme has turned out to be. Over and above the aforegoing, the programme activations tag along corporate and social partners to deliver essential services at the door steps of our people.
For the benefit of those that are yet to attend our Shukuma, our social partners include Diabetes Eswatini, Breast and Cervical Cancer Network, Autism Eswatini to name just a few. Our corporate partners include the likes of the Sincephetelo Motor Vehicles Accident Fund, Eswatini Mobile and MTN Eswatini to mention just a few.
Obviously with such a full package, Shukuma Eswatini contributes to the health, social and economic development of our country.
We cannot over emphasis the need for our people to engage in sports and healthy living. We shall invariably encourage our people to continue living heathy lifestyles long after Shukuma has visited their particular Inkhundla.