Vimbai is a 23-year-old and is a student at the University of Zimbabwe. Vimbai’s previous experience with Special Olympics was so meaningful to her. She learned a lot through the first ever siblings’ engagement event held in Special Olympics Zimbabwe and she also attended the Regional Youth Leadership Summit which she found to be educational and life-changing. Vimbai became a Youth Leader because she wants to advocate for her siblings and to raise awareness about intellectual disability.

Tanyaradzwa Faith (Tanya) is a 19-year-old residing in Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe. Tanya has been involved with Special Olympics for a couple of years. She has participated in the Special Olympics Zimbabwe National Games and the 2022 Regional Youth Leadership Summit. Tanya became a Youth Leader so that she can advocate for herself and for fellow Athletes.
Vimbai and Tanya noticed that siblings seem to lack knowledge of the conditions or disabilities that lie within their fellow Athlete Siblings. They feel if they can provide trainings to siblings, more siblings will become Unified partners.
Through their project, Vimbai and Tanya will raise awareness on intellectual disabilities and related conditions through 4 Sibling-only workshops held in 2 Provinces of Zimbabwe, namely Harare and Mashonaland West. These workshops will be engaging and informative, as they will be partnering with intellectual disabilities experts and Psychologists to impart their expertise and challenge the siblings in attendance to attempt to better understand their family members with intellectual disabilities.
These Youth Leaders hope to produce the following impacts through their projects: Siblings who attend the workshops leaving with a clear understanding of the conditions that lie within their fellow siblings and related issues associated with their disabilities, greater and more Sibling participation through volunteering and taking on leadership roles in the Program, and more peace in the home: better Siblings and Family relations.