Empower East African Refugee Youth in Uganda

Reopening Our Youth Center
Between COVID-19 and a contentious presidential election in Uganda, Soccer Without Borders’ programming has been limited at times during the past several months. On Feb 8, after lots of hard work from our coaches, we reopened the Refugee Youth Center in Kampala. We welcome over 300 youth each day to the center for academic classes, soccer, and extracurricular activities. SWB Uganda has adapted our program multiple times during the past 11 months and we’ve safely returned to the pitch by taking precautions that include temperature checks, small groups, and social distancing.  

Getting Girls on the Pitch
Coach Fahaby Kitimbo and the SWB team launched a community girls league to unite teams from around Kampala in a safe space for friendly competition and skill building. Kitimbo recognized that there was a lack of opportunities for girls under 17 and created the league as a part of her coach action plan in the Global Goal 5 Accelerator.

“On our side of town, getting friendly matches for girls is so difficult,” said Kitimbo. “Few people organize girls tournaments, so creating a league was a way to give girls a platform where they can play, especially grassroot teams at the moment.”

We piloted the league in December with seven teams of girls ages 14-17 and will expand to up to 12 teams in early 2021. It’s critical for us to expand and provide spaces for girls to explore their identities, while growing as leaders and athletes. Last season, 75% of SWB Uganda’s girls participated in 10 or more training sessions. This new league is another way in which girls can deepen their involvement in soccer with support from other women, while gaining self-confidence. It’s hopeful that this will pave the way for more competitive leagues of its kind.

“A future goal of this league is to expand it into primary school-aged girls. Primary schools generally only offer soccer to boys,” said Steve Davis, SWB Uganda Director. “Through school outreach and engagement, we hope to advocate for the girls in these schools and help support the creation of soccer teams for them.”

From Participant to Producer
Jules Mayele, SWB Program Coordinator, produced a short documentary film: “A Journey of Four Refugee Sisters,” (click title to watch) which features four program participants who have blossomed quickly in the SWB program. Having fled violence in their homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, their family arrived in Uganda and the girls were encouraged to join us.

The sisters featured in this video — Joanna, Angel, Michelline, and Providence — quickly became active members of the SWB community, showing rapid improvements in their English skills and becoming a positive influence on others. They continue to take advantage of leadership opportunities, including assistant coaching as part of the Global Goal 5 Accelerator. Theirs are just four of many stories of refugee youth who are adjusting to new environments, learning and growing while healing from trauma.

As an SWB participant turned staff member, Mayele has a special understanding of the SWB experience, especially for refugees. “It takes great resilience to bounce from traumatic and shattering events such as losing and separating from family members, to become great influential and strong role models within a short time,” said Mayele. “This is not an easy ride, but these girls are a definition of that [resilience].”

SWB Uganda offers football, literacy, and life-skills classes to over 300 refugee children each week,  48% of whom are girls. By comparison, according to FIFA just 3% of football players on the African continent are girls.

Links:

• Learn more about our Uganda program on our website
• Follow SWB Uganda on Facebook for updates
• SWB wins Sport for Gender Equality Collective Impact Award