Sport benefits those engaged, particularly players, in ways that extend far beyond exercise and fun. Sport does not only improve the well-being of players but it helps empower them and create opportunities for education and socialization.
For refugee children, sport helps them to cope with the trauma of displacement as well as give them a sense of belonging to host communities after being uprooted from their homes.
Score Beyond Leadership Organization led by basketball coach Ali Mavita understands the impact of sports-oriented solutions in solving social issues in and around refugee communities. The organization has provided these sports-oriented solutions over the years, particularly in the northern and West Nile parts of the country.
With support from several partners, Score Beyond has implemented these solutions in the West Nile district of Adjumani where they engage about 100 children in sports and education-related activities at Adjumani Model School over weekends.
Score Beyond’s work has not gone unrecognised as the German Embassy, whom they have partnered with before during their activities in Gulu, has come in again with a timely contribution of sports equipment valued at Ugx 17 million.
The donated equipment which includes basketball hoops, goal posts, bibs, balls (soccer, rugby, basketball), and whistles is essential for the successful operation of Score Beyond programs, especially the Barefoot League that they run in Adjumani.
“With this equipment from the German Embassy, it means we will be able to do [our activities] in two locations and kids don’t have to come or walk from very far. This is very appreciated and we will put it to very good use,” Mavita said.
“What we give the kids in Adjumani are sports they have never seen and a chance to experience it structured sports,” she added.
From the activities held in Gulu, Mavita highlighted the success story of Immaculate Adongpiny who represented Uganda at the 2022 FIBA Africa U18 Women’s Championship.
“The last time we got a donation from the German Embassy, we held the Gulu League. One of the success stories from Gulu is Immaculate Adongpiny, who then was playing basketball for the very first time. She went on to represent Uganda at Youth Competitions and is now in Italy in one of the best academies (StellaZurra Basketball Academy).”
Hans von Schroeder, the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Kampala, expressed satisfaction with the partnership, reaffirming Germany’s support for Score Beyond’s activities
“It’s been a long-standing relationship [with Score Beyond] and we are happy to come to another step and that shows how impressed we are with the performance of Score Beyond,” von Schroeder said.
“For the German Embassy, we understand that sports in many ways is a good method to foster relationships between people at all levels. And if you do it with children, you lay a good foundation for education and a chance to fulfil their dreams not only in sport but other areas,” he added.