Mary Waya, one of many coaches for the Malawi National Netball Team, “The Queens,” has been honoured in Nigeria for her outstanding contributions to the event of netball within the nation.
The Community Sport and Educational Development (CSED) Initiative has established the Mary Waya Award in recognition of her selfless efforts in 2020, when she educated and licensed 24 Nigerians as certified netball coaches regardless of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This yr, the award was offered to deserving youngsters and youths from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Uhogua, Benin City, as a tribute to organisations and people who use the facility of sports activities to beat adversity.
“As of 2025, Mary Waya’s legacy has inspired our organisation to train over 370 Physical Education teachers and community youths in netball, free of charge,” mentioned the CSED Initiative Trustees.
They additional highlighted that Waya’s affect has led to the pilot launch of the Sporting Coders Project, an progressive programme integrating netball with coding and pc expertise growth in chosen Nigerian secondary colleges.
Speaking to Nyasa Times, Waya expressed gratitude for the popularity, saying it was an honour she shares with Malawi as a complete.
“It’s a great privilege to be recognised by a country like Nigeria for making an impact on the African child. My hope is always to inspire young girls to network, learn new skills, and build sustainable livelihoods through netball,” she mentioned, reflecting on her 2020 go to to encourage ladies rescued from Boko Haram in Benin City, Delta State.
The CSED Initiative is devoted to utilizing sports activities as a software for social inclusion and growth, notably amongst marginalised communities, by way of academic and sporting actions.
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