UEFA president stunned by the slum conditions in Banda as he visits Acholi quarters

Aliguma Foundation founder Rita Aliguma believes the visit of UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin will inspire more children in Acholi quarters to involve themselves more in sports.

Aliguma and her staff had just hosted the president at the Acholi quarters ground where he watched exhibition matches from the children of schools from the neighbouring community, having arrived in the country on Monday night.

“We are very grateful for having hosted the UEFA president into this community in Uganda. It means a lot not only to Uganda but Africa at large but most importantly, his visit to the community is a message of love and a message of hope to this community. It’s a big inspiration and I’m sure many young people are inspired because of his visit,” Aliguma stated.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (3rd right), State Sports Minister Peter Ogwang and Rita Aliguma inspect some of the school teams at the Acholi quarters. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

State Sports Minister Peter Ogwang alongside the National Council of Sports Chairman, Ambrose Tashobya and General Secretary Patrick Ogwel as well as Aliguma received the president at Entebbe Airport and apart from Ogwel were with him at the Banda Slums Soccer pitch.

After his brief visit at the Acholi quarters, Ceferin said he would visit more often to such projects to get a real feel of what people go through.

“This was amazing; it was an emotional experience for me. I think we should come more often to see what real life looks like, and I’m grateful to Rita and the foundation that brought us here. It’s not a gift that I came, it’s a gift that you received me,” Ceferin said.

Earlier, Ceferin had visited the ‘Okello house’ in Banda where he met women groups (the mothers of the slum children) who engage in different small-scale enterprises like crafts and art pieces.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (3rd right), State Sports Minister Peter Ogwang and Rita Aliguma inspect some of the school teams at the Acholi quarters. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

Here he told the mothers that football is more than just the game on the pitch but that it entails everything about humanity. Led by a brass band, he later walked on foot through the slums up to the Acholi quarters community ground where he inspected different schools' teams before watching exhibition football matches by the different schools.

“The UEFA foundation will continue helping children around the world. When we met Rita we learnt about her goals and aims and we wanted to work with her; UEFA will help but the government also has to step in and help,” Ceferin said.

The president’s visit follows UEFA Foundation for Children's funding of the Aliguma Foundation among 55 new children’s projects that were funded by UEFA from the allocation of the 2020/21 budget of €4,812,021 (Sh21b) to new projects or an extension of existing projects, in line with its mission to protect children’s fundamental rights in health and protection, children with disabilities, education and personal development, access to sport, integration of minorities and protection for victims of conflicts.