Soccer academy lights up slum

KAMPALA.

Some 1600 miles away in Port-Gentil, the Uganda Cranes were in the eleventh hour ahead of what Daily Monitor had reported as a “must-not-lose” group match against Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Coach Micho Sredojevic’s move to drop defender Isaac Isinde for Murushid Juuko was the talk of the town that January. The former had been scorned for recklessly fouling Ghana’s Andre Ayew which caused that costly penalty and that 1-0 defeat to a team Ugandans had regarded “beatable.”

From arcades, aboard taxis, the debate reached this dusty pitch behind Namungoona Kigobe Primary School, in Rubaga Division, Kampala. Here, members of Light Up Life Soccer Academy had retreated to a nearby veranda, after their football match against a visiting team was prematurely forced into halftime. Like he had been intercepting opposition moves, one intercepted my chat with their coach Frank Ssuuna about Uganda’s fate against Egypt, the seven-time continental champions.

“Naye mwana Isinde kye yakoze tekiriiyo,” said one of these young footballers suggesting that Isinde tackle was way miscalculated. We all agreed. “But we can beat those Arabs (read Egyptians) tonight, not so coach?” another chipped in.
“Osaaga, obwo obusajja bukuba, Elneny muzibu, Salah asala,” another summed up his analysis citing the threat of the Egyptian duo of Arsenal midfielder Mohamed El Neny and AS Roma’s Mohamed Salah.

Interesting—most of these boys are bred in these Kigobe slums, but evidently, they are products of this digital television era that has rubbed the European game in our faces.

Before this rain-forced break, three boys had caught my eye: one made hard audacious tackles which defy his ‘age’, felling opponents almost twice his height. Colgate, as he is known to peers, is actually the oldest on the pitch but only his fearless approach shows. I feel for him that a mid-teenager, as his coach estimates, hardly taller than three feet, will struggle in today’s physically demanding game.

Another is ‘Ozil’, a dark skinned little boy with an amazing gift in his left leg. Sporting that Mesut Ozil Germany jersey, he stands out. His full composure, good ball control, awesome dribbles and passing would make Ozil, the Arsenal midfielder, proud.

Jeremiah Babinga, real name, has only one week to return to Victory Academy in Jinja. Sadly, this Primary Four pupil is worried he is not guaranteed a place on the school team, yet here, his services will greatly be missed. His exemplifies the dilemma of many Ugandan children regarding talent development.
Likewise, 14-year-old Benjamin Kamanyire has all attributes of a promising star. He idolises Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo but Benja, his field name, is also bothered that school coaches prefer older players.

Nevertheless, he is hopeful. “I hope my time will come, one day,” said the Senior Two student of Blessed Damien Secondary School, Masindi. “When we play some friendlies, some teachers tell me I’m good, and here coach Ssuuna gives me a lot.”

Opportunists
It’s that back-to-school rush hour, parents panicking to fix their children’s fees, looking for affordable schools. Those whose children do sports target bursaries. That very evening one man posed as an “agent” promising bursaries to some students.

It seemed a good beginning. But recently, coach Ssuuna told us the man was an opportunist. “They started conning parents of money; even the schools they claimed to connect the children to did not exist…guys were fake,” he said.

Sustaining this makeshift academy in these slum settings is no mean task. Because the parents are poor, entry is free and logically, so is exit. No wonder most of the pioneers were lured by other opportunists promising them ‘good life’ and after realising these were empty promises, some slowly creep back.

Facilitation
Life here is in stark contrast to what other children enjoy in suburban academies but Herbie Kawuma, a social worker based in Norway, tries to bridge that gap. Just this year, he has donated over 50 pairs of soccer boots, jackets, and jerseys.

Through his Light Up Life charity, Kawuma encourages friends abroad to gather used sports equipment, which is still ‘new’ by Ugandan standards, and brings it when he returns home. He did it in January, again in the Easter break.

“I will continue giving the little I can to the communities which groomed me,” Kawuma says. “And I believe the more we give, the more God enables us…if we all believe, we can make a difference in the kids’ lives.”

Kawuma’s helping hand has touched boxers in Katwe and Namungoona and such inspirational works won him the Price Net Model Award as the Norway Youth Ambassador of 2012.

His teammate Katalin Bencze, a Hungarian living in Norway promised to boost the initiative with more donations “because this is a cause worth supporting.”

Kawuma and his partners Coach Ssuuna and coach Meddie cannot sustain this cause without the parents’ input.

“This is a challenge to us parents,” says Edward Kizimula, chairman of Namungoona Boxing Club. “It’s our responsibility to encourage the children to attend training and be disciplined; we must improve this pitch because our children are the beneficiaries.”

It is a call echoed by Hassan Kirunda, whose son Ashraf Kakaire is the academy’s U14 goalkeeper.

On a sunny day, this pitch in a swamp is purely scorched earth, with minor patches of grass on the fringes. When it rains, as it did that day, it is pure mud because there are no channels to drain the water.

But for now, all children around with a football aspiration are assured of the friendly welcome and if their agemates, 11000 miles away in Norway, continue to throw in a jersey, boot, bib or jacket, the dream stays alive.