Discussion about entry: The Tigers Club Project - Using Soccer to Reach Street Children in Uganda
This is discussion about The Tigers Club Project - Using Soccer to Reach Street Children in Uganda.
This is discussion about The Tigers Club Project - Using Soccer to Reach Street Children in Uganda.
Comments
Joan,
This is an amazing initiative. I am curious whether you have connections to the Kampala Kids League - they are also listed under the soccer category? It also struck me that you have a natural possible connection to the Homeless World Cup?! Have there been any connections there? On another note, I was curious to know what the root cause is for homelessness among these youth in Kampala and whether you guys are seeking to address these issues as well? It is amazing work you guys are doing and it seems a model for many other entries or at least an opportunity for further exchange.
Best of luck!
Ziba
Dear Ziba,
Thank you for your words of encouragement. The Tigers Club is a member of Kampala’s Inter-NGO Forum, a consortium of organizations in Uganda that work with street children. (As a matter of fact, RETRAK’s founder and CEO, Andy Williams, founded the Inter-NGO Forum.) Meetings are held once a month to share experiences, encourage, challenge, and empower one another. So while I’m not sure if they know of the Kampala Kids League, I do know that The Tigers Club Project is committed to communicating and sharing best practices with other organizations in Uganda. Andy Williams is also a founding member of a group called the 180 Degree Alliance, an alliance of NGOs working with street children around the world. As for the Homeless World Cup, I know that Andy has spoken with them and discussed the possibility of the Tigers Club participating in their program.
There is no one root cause for homelessness in Uganda. AIDS, poverty, illness, abandonment and abuse can all play a role in a child’s decision to run to the streets. The Tigers Club Project hopes to initiate prevention work in different regions of Uganda, with a view to reducing the number of children running to the streets of Kampala in pursuit of a better life. During a pilot phase, we hope to explore criteria for identifying children genuinely at risk of leaving home and to work closely with them and their families in addressing the issues which could lead to the child turning away from the family. Community-based awareness raising and educational activities will further sensitize children and young people in rural areas to the nature and danger of city life, and challenge some of the misconceptions about the opportunities it offers.
Again, thank you for the feedback, and please let me know if you have any more questions.
Joan Townsend
FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP TO UGANDA CORDIALLY VISIT WEBSITE: www.palaisdacha.net
Dear Joan,
This is a fantastic entry. The Tigers Club does so much more than Sports! Your effective work with street children and the way in which you empower and help develop responsibility, skills and confidence is great! Your videos are very professional and very informative. Thank you for your great work.
All the best,
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Thank you, Dana, for your comments. Now that I've hit the "submit" button for this competition, I'm now going to turn my attention to the Young Men at Risk competition!
Joan
Dear Joan:
Thank you for participating in this collaborative competition. We value the time and effort you’ve put forth and we would like to offer you feedback and some thought provoking questions from our Evaluation Team.
The impact of the Tigers Club Project in 2006 was considerable and spanned a number of youth-focused targets. However, the organization is supported largely by donors, calling into question its long-term sustainability and self-sufficiency.
Please use this input as both potential insights into your innovations, as well as constructive ideas for how to improve or grow your organization.
Warm regards,
The Changemakers Evaluation Team
FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP TO UGANDA CORDIALLY VISIT WEBSITE:
www.palaisdacha.net
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