Mutare Haarlem Sport Leaders

Introduction
MHS is an initiative that is building and strengthening mass participation in sport. This is done by passing on skills to people, particularly youth and by empowering new links between schools, communities, sport associations and development cooperation programmes in Mutare. Partnership is the key to long term success and sustainability.

Background of MHS
The city of Mutare and the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands are twinned and have a sustainability charter that was signed in the year 2000. The Mutare-Haarlem sport project is part of the charter. Young people between the ages of 16 and 30 years are recruited to join the trainee sport leaders. After an assessment period of 6-12 months they start a ten stages programme to become an advanced sport leader. In October 2003 a group of 18 sport leaders completed the courses. They formed a professional organisation called MHS.

Technical assistance
Permanently two to three volunteers from the Netherlands are in Mutare, each for a period of six months, since the year 2000 to assist in the development of MHS.
A sport development Advisor from the Netherlands is also in Mutare.

Setting
The programme is set under the City of Mutare, Housing and Community Services Department, and gets guidelines from an Advisory Board that involves key stakeholders. These are: City of Mutare; Sport and Recreation Commission; Ministry of Education, Sport and Culture; City Link Haarlem- Mutare.