Uganda: Buwate Sports Academy
Academy Participates in Airtel Rising Stars National Tournament: Q3 2018
December 12, 2018
Naku Charles Lwanga
Summary of Activities
- Buwate Sports Academy organized a friendly match with the boda boda community of Kasangati, Wampeewo, and Seeta in the under-17 category and victoriously beat the adults in the game, with a 4-0 win.
- In order to boost the children’s morale in football (American soccer), Buwate Sports Academy visited Kira Sports Academy to play a friendly match in the categories of under-3, under-9, under-11, and under-13, respectively.
- Buwate Sports Academy took part in the Nasuna Football Gala in the category of under-17 at Gangu, where a number of teams were invited, including Busabala Junior Team, Spato Soccer Academy, Super Heroes United Sports Academy (Mulago), and Skills Plus Soccer Academy.
- The children also participated in the Kiti Kids Gala at Shamon playground in Kitikifumba in the categories of under-3, under-9, and under-13. Some other teams that participated were Entebbe Soccer Academy, Kiti Soccer Academy, Kira Soccer Academy, and the Namugongo Soccer League, among others. We won 6-0 against Kiti Soccer Academy in the under-3 category, played 5 games in the under-9 and won, and played 3 games in the under-13 and won against the Namugongo Soccer League.
- Buwate Sports Academy has greatly impacted the lives of its vocational trainees by enabling students, specifically those who were previously employed as house helpers in the community, to start up their own business and generate a daily income.
- Wages for Buwate Sports Academy support staff were paid promptly, enabling the program to run smoothly.
- Food and charcoal were purchased so that we could provide the children with a meal during training sessions and away games.
- The children were safely transported to and from football (American soccer) games outside the academy during the reporting period, such as Nsambya, Kasangati, Wampewo, Gangu, and Kitikifumba.
- Buwate Sports Academy staff organized a meeting to discuss with parents issues concerning their children, such as promoting academy programs, monitoring children in school to enhance good education, career development, behavioral change, and combating poverty by starting income generating activities to promote better standards of living.
- Buwate Sports Academy continued to implement a system of visiting former students who, after completing their training in the vocational department, are now self-employed. This is a way to inspire, empower, and provide technical support to the graduates who are referred to as success stories and to the current trainees who hear their stories.
Full Report
Results &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Promoting School
Helping Children
School fees were paid for 85 children in Buwate Sports Academy, with funds from RMF. Scholastic materials were distributed to all Buwate Sports Academy children going back to school for the next term, enabling them to study without interruption.
Holiday Sports Program
Training Children
Buwate Sports Academy organized and held holiday sports programs for the academy children, and welcomed children back to school with serious training for the categories of under-3, under-9, under-11, under-13, and under-16.
Airtel National Tournament
Moving Up
Buwate children participated in the Airtel Rising Stars national tournament organized by Airtel, a telecom company in Uganda that identifies and supports young talent to reach greater heights. Buwate children won with a score of 2-0 against Nsambya Soccer Academy, thus making it to the district tournament level.
Growing Program
Making a Difference
Even with our limited funding, Buwate Sports Academy was able to expand its vocational training services to cover a larger area. Buwate Sports Academy was able to start an additional skills empowerment program, focused on hairdressing, for women living in the slum area of Kireka, a Kampala suburb. The program specifically targets housewives, girls who have dropped out of school, former prostitutes, and those without formal employment.
Startup Kits
Promoting Success
The vocational training department continued to register progress by contributing a small percentage of income to the students as startup capital, and by purchasing some sewing machines, which enables students who have completed the tailoring training to start up their own business, generate a daily income, and become self-reliant in the long run.
Empowering Women
Gaining New Skills
New participants in the tailoring program include women unable to continue their formal education, former prostitutes, widows, and single mothers. Tailoring trainees make school uniforms such as sportswear, skirts, dresses, and shirts, as well as school bags and ladies’ bags and wallets, which help generate income to support the department.
Background
& Objectives
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
More
Photos
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Numbers
Served
Community Benefactors
July to September 2018
RMF paid school fees for 85 children in Buwate Sports Academy.
About 2,000 persons in the Buwate, Kireka, Bwyogerere, and Seeta communities benefit from the Buwate Sports Academy project.
Success
Stories
Umaru
Example of Hope
The academy made a follow-up visit to Umaru, one of the supported children who is striving against all odds to succeed. Umaru is pursuing a course in carpentry and joinery at Bugema University Vocational School, and we visited him at his internship placement at Nyondo Engineering Workshop, where he is undergoing industrial training. He is an inspiration to others currently being sponsored under this project. Umaru has proven to be resilient and dedicated to his tasks. He has beaten the odds and is an example to other children that even with a low economic background, there is still hope. We are so proud of him!
More Reports on: Buwate Sports Academy Archive
Country Page: Uganda
Initiative Page: Buwate Sports Academy
