Empowering teenagers through our Football Project
- Kids Club Kampala
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Our Football Project provides teenagers in Kampala’s slum communities a safe space to belong and support each other. Through weekly football coaching and mentoring from trained volunteers, children are supported to improve their confidence, self-esteem, football skills, teamwork and discipline. Our Football Project is part of our wider Child Protection Programme, which aims to create safer communities for children by combining a range of targeted activities with a community-based abuse prevention approach.
This blog post will highlight the challenges faced in the slum communities, and share how our Football Project is making a meaningful impact. Read on to find out more about our new changing rooms and the launch of our girls' team!
The challenge
Life can be extremely difficult for children growing up in Kampala’s slums. In Namuwongo, there are estimated to be up to 9,000 children living in challenging conditions (Hope for Children, 2024). These communities are often unsafe, with high levels of unemployment, overcrowded housing, and dangerous walkways. Many families live in a single room and survive on just one meal a day.
Education is also out of reach for many families in the slums. The costs of school, including uniforms, books, and meals, mean that 34% of children in these communities do not have access to education (UNICEF 2019). Without schooling, vocational training, or access to social care, children are left at risk of exploitation, crime, and abuse. Girls are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, while boys face high rates of crime, substance abuse, and social exclusion.
Our approach
By providing structured, supervised activities, our Football Project creates a safe environment where children are physically protected, socially supported, and emotionally nurtured. Children are enrolled throughout the year and mentoring takes place every weekend.
All of our coaches are volunteers, who generously dedicate their time to helping young people, acting as role models, and providing reliable support. They all undergo safeguarding checks before joining the project, and are trained as community safeguarding volunteers, so they can refer children to other child protection support systems within Kids Club Kampala where needed.
Key activities include:
Weekly football coaching sessions in Naguru and Namuwongo slums.
Regular matches, friendly games and tournaments with other local football teams.
Provision of nutritious snacks and drinks to ensure all children can participate without hunger becoming a barrier.
Weekly mentoring and counselling sessions with trained volunteers to help children process trauma, build resilience, and develop social skills.
Regular refresher training for our volunteers to maintain high standards of coaching and community safeguarding.
Our impact
In 2025, 64 boys attended the Football Project every weekend across 2 slum communities, Naguru and Namuwongo. In 7 months, the Kids Club Kampala team won 10 matches against different local football teams! The project has had a significant impact on the players, as well as the wider community.
Our Football Project has made a real difference in the lives of young people, giving them a supportive space to learn new skills and grow in confidence. Through the sessions, we’ve seen children develop not just as players, but as resilient young leaders who believe in their futures. Having positive role models around them has been key, offering guidance and inspiration while also providing a disciplined alternative to crime and drug abuse. One of our players, Connor*, said:
“I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Kids Club Kampala has given me a reason to believe in my future.”
Across the wider community, the impact has been just as meaningful. Our Football Project brings people together through a shared love of football, creating a real sense of pride and connection. It’s also helping to shift the narrative, replacing stories of crime and hardship in the community with stories of achievement. More than just a football club, Kids Club Kampala FC is helping bring about real change. A parent shared:
“Our Naguru community is sometimes unsafe for our children, especially after school when they have nothing to do and end up loitering around. I am very happy that my young son is engaged in football instead of joining bad peer groups.”
Jaden*, age 5, said:
“When I become as big as my brother Joe, I want to also play football.”
Recent developments
In 2025, thanks to generous funding, we were able to build new changing rooms at our pitch in Namuwongo, due to popular demand from the players. As part of our commitment to sustainability, we repurposed a shipping container to create these facilities. The container houses changing rooms, toilets, and lockers, while the roof has been converted into a viewing platform for friends and families.
Responding to the needs of the community, we are delighted to share that we recently launched a girls’ football team in Namuwongo in 2026! With our new coach, Abbi*, the team is becoming a warm space where young girls are developing football skills and a sense of belonging. As both a coach and a role model, Abbi is inspiring the next generation of girls to believe in their potential. We’re so excited to share more updates with you soon about the impact of this initiative.
Can you support our Football Project?
It costs £15,000 a year to keep our Football Project running. Can you make a donation to support our work? Even a small donation can have a life-changing impact. Thank you.
*Names have been changed
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