Origins of Ability Sports Africa
The problem of discrimination, stigma, and social exclusion of disabled people is pervasive in Uganda. The scars of past conflicts, especially in the northern region, and widespread poverty combined with lack of economic opportunities exacerbate these social inequalities. Despite progressive legislation on disability issues in Uganda, disabled people across the country are more likely to be out of school or drop out of education earlier, less likely to be employed and commonly report discrimination upon seeking employment, more likely to be living in multi-dimensional poverty, and more likely to experience abuse, neglect, and social isolation1,2,3,4.
It is against this backdrop that the founder of ASA, Faruk Musema, developed his vision for using adaptive and inclusive sports to promote social inclusion and disability justice. Faruk lived through the LRA insurgency as a child in northern Uganda, and recognized through personal experience the power of sport to bring joy and cultivate community in challenging situations. It was in moments playing football that the experience of the war disappeared for a while, and he could lose himself scoring goals with his friends. Extensive evidence displays the transformative power of sport, not just in improving health and wellbeing, but also promoting social inclusion, reducing inequalities, empowering marginalized communities, and positively shifting perspectives5,6,7.
Faruk realized that some of his friends, those with disabilities or who had been injured in the war, were not equally included in the sports and games. Across Uganda, people with disabilities, especially children and youth, face many barriers to participate in sports, including lack of adaptive equipment, inaccessible facilities, lack of awareness or training in adaptive sports by coaches, and societal stigma towards disabled people8,9. Faruk aimed to break down these barriers, and after receiving an education in social work and adaptive sports, and gaining professional experience working in disability advocacy, Faruk founded Ability Sports Africa to create equal opportunities for disabled people to participate in sports, and to use adaptive sports to promote the social inclusion and human rights of people with disabilities.
Ability Sports Africa (ASA) was registered on 6th of January, 2020 as a community-based organization (CBO) under the Gulu District local government. ASA now has an active team of ten staff members, with backgrounds ranging from sports coaching, social work, organizational management, finance, and sports science research. All team members are dedicated and passionate to use adaptive sports to promote the health and wellbeing of disabled people, empower young athletes with disabilities, and advocate for disability rights. As of October, 2025, ASA has directly engaged over 1,700 children and youth with disabilities (CYWD) through adaptive sports programs in more than 40 schools across Gulu City, Gulu District, Omoro, Amuru, and Moyo districts, trained more than 180 coaches in adaptive and inclusive sports techniques, performed physiotherapy outreach services for over 15 families of CYWD, engaged over 670 athletes (300+ with disabilities) in Uganda’s first-ever all-inclusive 5km race, created the opportunity for over 400 children from Gulu and surrounding communities to play weekly football in ASA’s grassroots football league, and indirectly impacted over 5,000 community members through ASA’s adaptive sports programs, events, and advocacy campaigns. The primary locus of ASA’s work is Gulu City, with some programs reaching other districts of northern Uganda. ASA has made immense progress since its inception, and has created opportunities for thousands of CYWD to participate in sports, enhancing health and wellbeing, empowering the next generation of change-makers for inclusion, and dismantling disability stigma to create a more inclusive society through sport.
However, there remains a significant gap to address to ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunities to participate in sports. At ASA, we aim to use adaptive sports to empower CYWD, cultivate health and wellbeing, and transform perceptions towards disability across Uganda, into other countries in Africa, and even around the world, with the vision of a more inclusive, equitable, and just society. In order to make this vision a reality and expand adaptive sports programs to new regions of Uganda, and eventually internationally, ASA aims to apply for registration as a national-level non-governmental organization (NGO).
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