Seven years later, Soccer For Life Foundation drastically attains ground

Most successful projects in life have had their own tales of humble beginnings.

In 2015, football coach Jessy Lukoki initiated the Soccer For Social Life (SSL) project which later changed to Soccer For Life Foundation.

Back then, he was still a student at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in Nakawa.

At MUBS, he was part of the university football team but had special adoration for kids within the Nakawa community who who would cheer him and the teammates in the university.

Back in 2015, I decided to gather the children and train them though I was not yet a coach. I had passion and used to do what coach Charles Ayiekoh trained us at MUBS.

Jessy Lukoki, founder of Soccer For Life Foundation

Humble start:

A famous Chinese proverb is remarkably quoted; “A journey of 1000 miles is embarked by a single step”.

This is exactly how Soccer For Life Foundation was started.

With one old ball, Lukoki would trained the 10 boys at the open space near Spear (opposite MTAC) in Nakawa.

“I got one old ball from the MUBS sports store that I used to train the kids during my free time on Saturday morning at spear opposite MTAC where our field was which is now the current car bond of future investment company.” Lukoki boldly recalls.

With 10 kids, the number later grew to 30 and beyond. Today, there are over 150 children in the different age categories of U7, U9, U11, U13, U15 and U17.

Community change:

According to Lukoki, the main purpose of this initiative was to help the kids in Nakawa community develop their football talents and change lives as well.

The project was to change the lives of kids in Nakawa community. Also, to develop their talents in football and enhance their education since Nakawa had many kids who used not to go to school but could only work in the market. This touched me to see young kids instead of accessing school they are working in the market carrying items and luggage so I wanted to change their lives through soccer.

Jessy Lukoki, Director Soccer For Life Foundation

Soccer For Life Foundation is a project with an innovative and exciting approach to establish successful sports discipline teams in different age categories both boys and girls, guide and empowering youth for development and peace.

To be a leading soccer foundation for excellency and guidance in Uganda through increasing the number of youth athletes participating in organized youth tournaments.

Vision of Soccer For Life Foundation

Equip youth with skills to enhance their talents and the future.

Mission of Soccer For Life Foundation

We develop for the future.

Motto of Soccer For Life Foundation

Success stories:

What started small eventually developed into a serious talent hub where a number of players have established themselves into the country’s top tiers as FUFA Big League and Uganda Premier League.

Isaac Mweru Doka, formerly at Express and MYDA is now playing top fight football at Busoga United Football Club in Jinja city.

A big number of players are in the different U-17 Junior teams.

“Financial resources permitting, in the coming next season, our aim is to participate in the FUFA Junior League since we have lost many players in this way of not participating” Lukoki states.

Financial constraints aside, the academy faces the challenge of enough equipment and playing facilities.

Many of our playing areas have been taken up by business people who construct shopping malls, arcades and also hotels leaving us with no areas to play from. This has created more problems in youth turning into thieves, thugs and school drop-outs since what would keep them together and busy would be soccer but due to no playing fields it becomes hard for them to gather and have the sport. Good equipment would be another factor affecting our development since most of kids come from poor families who cannot even afford school fees so can’t even afford registration and training kits.

Jessy Lukoki, director of Soccer For Life Foundation

Future prospects:

Every project has bright future aspirations in pipeline and so does Soccer for Life Foundation.

Ranking aloft is attaining bigger space for their own ground with a home and a school to front education of the children.

“The future plan is to have a big space to cater for the pitch and home for these kids also have school nearby so that they can access education.” Lukoki dreams.

Soccer For Life Foundation has taken part in many youth tournaments and most recently were crowned champions of the Nakawa U-15 tournament played at Kyambogo University playground.

In this same tournament, they had the tournament’s best player in Barnabas Wangi, most outstanding goalkeeper Mark Ssonko and Jannik Fabien as the best goalkeeper.

At the moment, Lukoki is also pursuing and practicing his coaching credentials as the head coach of Tororo based Admin Football Club, a regional (third tier) entity club in Eastern Uganda.