Uganda: Buwate Sports Academy

Buwate Sports Academy Q4 2013 Progress Report

January 14, 2014

Naku Charles Lwanga and Jonathan White

Uganda Initiative Reports

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period:

Sensitization of community on HIV/AIDS
Bought sportswear and other sports equipment like goal net, training kits for girls, balls and charcoal for cooking.
Transported the team to the Lovena Sports Academy – Kireka for a football exchange visit.
The team also visited a widow who is HIV/AIDS positive and a mother to one of the sponsored children of the program, Eddie Kiryowa. She thanked RMF for the great support given to her son and also for the food she has received from the academy.
The academy acquired a Canon digital camera for the team to help them capture every activity that takes place.
Exercise notebooks were given to the orphaned and vulnerable children on World AIDS Day.
Children were also served with food during the World Aids Day gathering.
During World AIDS day, the children participated in many games focused on HIV/AIDS education and awareness.
Covered the cost of food and the cooks.
Four of the children that attend the Sports Academy received partial sports scholarships to secondary schools through their talent in football.
The Academy has also managed to enroll 30 girls in the academy, who are playing football in our community. Given the nature of the Ugandan culture, this is quite unusual.

Impact this project has on the community (who is benefiting and how):

One of the major functions of this project is that of a safe haven for the youths of Buwate and Kireka that we are targeting, many of them desperately poor.
The food we are providing is often the only food the youths are receiving in a given day.
By providing the opportunity to be physically active and play, the youths are practicing their sports skills and are supervised and safe during that time.
During their gathering, the youths are also receiving more general counseling and guidance.
We have seen significant improvement of sports skills as well as the morale of all camp youths and staff.
The youths were able to display their sports skills during the annual sports gala.
The standard of living of the youths and community members of Buwate and Kireka have improved due to the goods we were able to provide.
Sports Academy’s programs

Notable project challenges and obstacles:

Not enough fees to support the school costs all of the children
Transport costs can be a big problem, when it is necessary to travel to play other teams.
Quantity of food needed is higher
Larger buildings needed to hold meetings, classes, events.
The unstable exchange rate also makes purchasing of these items difficult.
Onsite Medical Clinic needed
Onsite Vocational Training Center needed for area’s young adults.
Limited space for training and carrying out additional activities;
Limited funds to purchase more sports attires and shoes for the Buwate Sports Academy team;
Limited funds to help educate some of the really poor children unable to attend schools, and;
The unstable exchange rates present challenges for monthly budgeting.

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Background

In early 2013, RMF, the Mother Teresa Children’s Foundation in Italy (Devoti Madre Terese Per I Bambini) and World Children’s Fund started funding support of the Buwate Sports Academy. Buwate Sports Academy is a sports club and activity group for children living in Buwate village, Kira Town, Kampala District. The Buwate Sports Academy seeks develop the youth advancement component of our humanitarian work through games, sports training, vocational training and other educational opportunities.

Objectives

Provide funding to assist the operations and growth of Buwate Sports Academy
Provide funding to allow children from surrounding slums to attend school
Provide funding for vocational training opportunities including tailoring, hairdressing, and cosmetology
Increase Buwate’s popularity in hopes that this will attract social services from the government and other development partners