The 2021 Christmas Party was the first of its kind Party organized for children with disabilities in Uganda, this was made possible through our online fundraising, were we managed to raise $1200 of $2500 target, we want to thank all our supporters, friends and the Board of Directors of ASA for making a big difference in the lives of our CWDs and their families. through this support a total of 30 children had fun, played different adaptive games, fun games, received T-shirts, enjoyed drinks and snacks, on top of that 25 school going children received scholastic materials like Dozen of Books, Pens, Pencils, Mathematical sets, bags and food relief to all the Parents to celebrate Christmas and New year with. Here is the link to the Coverage of the event. https://youtu.be/gBfHbszdI_4
This year the Deaf challenge cup was hosted by Omoro District in Northern Uganda with funding support from Fare Network (#FootballPeople weeks events) on the 11-16 Oct 2021, its a tradition for ASA to organize at least one challenge cup aimed at raising awareness on disability. This year theme was about changing the negative attitude of the community towards hearing impaired children. We engaged children with hearing impairment in a mixed team football competition with their hearing counter parts, this event created a big platform for awareness creation, attitude change, mindset shift, social inclusion, advocacy and physical and mental health development through the games played. A total of 266 children (Boys and Girls) registered from different community teams, out of 266 (46 were children with disabilities).
In June 2021 ASA launched a covid-19 response fundraiser to support 40 families for parent with children living with disability in Gulu District, Northern Uganda. The campaign was to help families greatly affected by the impact of the lock down measures put in place by the government. This has left many families who have children with disabilities desperately in need of food. The first lock down in March 2020 has heavily impacted the lives of these children, many of them became malnourished and weak. Through this campaign we managed to reach 38 families with food relief, two children with disabilities got wheelchairs, 1 got beddings and 1 familiy got relocated to their home with the support from the community who constructed for them a house. we are so grateful to all our supporters, friends, and parents who made this a reality.
We are thankful to Save the Children International for contracting Ability Sports Africa to train 40 teachers from 20 schools from Gulu and Amuru Districts in adaptive sports and physical literacy skills, Indeed we will achieve inclusive education in Uganda through the power of adaptive sports.
We engage children with hearing impairment to enjoy adaptive football in an inclusive sporting environment with their peers without disabilities, hence creating an inclusive sporting programs both in school, refugee settlement and community. it gives them the opportunity for social interaction and physical and health development in community activities. We empower our children with disabilities to enjoy sports by organizing Inclusive sports festival, life skills development, psycho-social support, skills development,creative arts and social well being. We encourage role model athletes who have achieved in the world of sports to engage with our girls and boys in different adaptive sports.
We are grateful to Swiss kanthari Foundation for the funding support to train 15 coaches and teachers from 6 inclusive primary schools, and community clubs within Gulu District, to engage 100 deaf girls in physical literacy and adaptive sports with this grant, we hope to achieve one of our goals of empowering girls with hearing impairment. We strive to promote adaptive sports, creative arts, advocacy and mainstreaming disability sports to help our children with disabilities more especially girls to gain confidence, self-esteem and self effectiveness to leave to their full potential and gain dignity for life.
We are committed in building sports for girls with disabilities (Deaf and Physical) in Uganda, ASA has started a pilot project on wheelchair basketball and stand basketball sporting activities in Northern Uganda a region affected by 20 years war, we are using sports for fan and as a tool for social-Interaction with peers, psycho-social support and for creating social change in the community.
We empower persons with disabilities to take full responsibilities to involve non disabled peers in their daily sporting and physical literacy activities. ASA organizes one festival and competition every year (The Challenge Cup and Adaptive Sports festivals), We do engage our beneficiaries in the following adaptive games Wheelchair basketball,sitting volleyball (physical),Wheelchair Tennis (physical), goal ball for the blind, showdown for the blind, padding, swimming, table tennis, archery, wheelchair racing (cycling),amputee soccer, football (deaf, girls, boys), handball, netball, pool, basketball (deaf), volleyball,tennis,athletics and Creative arts activities such as music dance and drama.
Physical literacy is the motivation an individual has that leads one to become physically competent, enduring, and confident. It also demonstrates knowledge about one’s own physical and mental health. To be physically literate means that you own your well-being through life. We give opportunity to children with disabilities to gain self reliance/daily leaving skills of wheeling, dressing, washing, playing and interacting. Physical literacy gives opportunity to our children to be able to throw an object, hope/jump, run/wheeling, catch/grab and kicking/shooting basing on these activities we shall clearly know what type of games a disabled child can play.
Nyero Foundation and Pass a pad Uganda donated 60 reusable sanitary pads for 15 Ability Sports deaf basketball team players, which is the first deaf basketball team in Uganda, the girls can now play without any obstacle, This has boosted their full participation in sports. and we are really grateful for the donation towards increasing equal participation of girls with disability in Uganda.
How do you feel, if you experience communication barriers? Well we are bridging the gaps of communication through sign language training for 15 teachers and sports coaches, This is one of the measures of creating an inclusive sports for children with hearing impairment, to bridge the gap of communication. We believe that through this training children with hearing impairment in Uganda will be fully included in sports and recreation activities.
ASA has entered into a new partnership agreement with BACKUP UGANDA to support children with learning difficulties achieve an inclusive learning environment in primary schools in Northern Uganda. Social change through sports in building an inclusive community and learning space for all forms of disabilities.
Eastern Division, Gulu City Council, Lumumba Avenue, Jomo Kenyatta Road
Phone : + 256771487566/+256700319116
Email : info@abilitysportsafrica.org
MON-FRI 09:00 – 19:00
SAT-SUN 10:00 – 14:00
