Naguru Social Sports Academy
A Model For All
Established in 2021, the first programme of Xcalibur Foundation was the Naguru Social Sports Academy. Located in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, this sports academy has been assisting children and families in the local community of Naguru for three years. Our goal is to support and improve their lives through a social programme that currently benefits 80 participants.
Aligned with our core Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) at XF: SDG 4, Quality Education, we develop activities through which 240 girls, boys, and their families have acquired social skills and values using football as a powerful social tool.
Why Naguru?
Uganda has one of the fastest-growing youth populations in the world. According to the World Bank, nearly half of the population is aged between 0 and 14, implying important challenges. There are high rates of teenage pregnancies, maternal mortality, and sexually transmitted diseases, especially in marginalized areas where 80% of Uganda’s population is concentrated, such as Naguru, the informal settlement in the outskirts of Kampala where the Social Sports Academy is located. Therefore, there is the pressing need to create awareness of the importance of the reproductive and sexual health amongst Ugandan youth and guarantee their right to education.
Uganda still faces major challenges in demographic, educational, and health issues. These challenges endanger children and restrict their opportunities to escape multidimensional poverty. Limited resources pressure many parents to make their children work and therefore do not attend school, so they can contribute financially to the family, while girls are often married off at a young age to alleviate economic burdens. The community also confronts significant challenges, lacking minimum standards of sanitation, access to water, and private toilets.
We have been committed to the protection of children and women for three years now by helping them meet their educational and social needs using sport as a tool to capture their interest and engage them in the programme’s activities.
In our latest measurements, we observed how the lack of private toilets and tools for personal care and hygiene was a problem, especially for girls, as 64% of them were absent on days when they were menstruating due to the lack of sanitary materials, as well as derogatory comments.
Educational and Sport Commitment
After studying the context of Naguru, we realised that football was a central and unifying activity for the community. Therefore, at Naguru Social Sports Academy, our primary focus is on sports training, carried out twice a week for various age groups between 6 and 17 years old. These training sessions inspire girls and boys to develop crucial skills such as discipline and camaraderie, fostering a commitment that extends to other areas of their lives.
With strong community support, our socio-sports school participants are enrolled at Naguru Katali Primary School. This partnership ensures that children must be enrolled and attend school to participate in our academy. This commitment and collaboration with the school and children helps maintain their engagement in formal education during the mornings, while afternoons are dedicated to other activities that contribute to their holistic development, promoted by our socio-sports academy, significantly boosting their enthusiasm for attending school.
In our latest measurements, we observed how the lack of private toilets and tools for personal care and hygiene was a problem, especially for girls, as 64% of them were absent on days when they were menstruating due to the lack of sanitary materials, as well as derogatory comments from their peers about this biological process. To address this social barrier, we implemented the Menstrual Hygiene Management programme, through which we carry out monthly workshops to raise awareness among girls, boys and guardians about menstruation and sexual education. We also distribute sanitary kits for the girls in the programme and for the women in their families, as well as other personal hygiene kits for all the children.
The involvement of families for us is fundamental. It is crucial that the entire family understands that quality education is one of the pillars to eradicate multidimensional poverty, so as part of our project we carry out parent meetings and make home visits.
Aligning with the 2030 Goals
At our foundation, we align our activities with several specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to maximise our impact and contribute to a better future. In order not to lose sight of our overall mission, the main SDG that we address in all our programmes is SDG 4: Quality Education. The specific SDGs of the Naguru Social Sports Academy are the following:
3.7 By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking sexual and other types of exploitation.
5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life.
10.2 By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
Who makes Naguru Social Sports Academy possible?
Our programme would not be possible without the collaboration of our local partners. For this programme, we have the support of Youth Sports Uganda, a partner that plays a crucial role in the implementation of our activities and daily monitoring of the programme, as well as the Real Madrid Foundation, an organisation through which the coaches, social worker, and school teachers have been trained under its unique and pioneering methodology teaching values through sport: ‘For a Real Education: Values and Sport’.
The support and understanding of the Ministry of Education in Uganda is essential for us to carry out our mission in a sustainable way. Thanks to their support we are able to provide our socio-educational programme in a holistic manner, offering activities that benefit young participants and ensure they have access to development opportunities in both academics and sports.
‘I am profoundly touched to realize that we have been able to help and support more than 240 children through this project. We have been working for three years, and the greatest satisfaction is seeing the positive impact that all the members of our projects are creating. This makes me believe that a better society is possible,’ explains Javier Lezcano, executive director of the Xcalibur Foundation.
Committed to Change
At Naguru Social Sports Academy, we are committed to creating a positive and lasting impact in the community through all our social and sporting activities that aim to improve health and well-being, promote gender equality, as well as protect the rights of children and youth, and manage conflict to foster the most positive environment for the community we work with. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to develop to their full potential, and we are dedicated to making this vision a reality.
Join us in this mission and be part of the change we want to see in the world. Together, we can build a better future for the next generations.
