Kele Global supports youth sports in the Kasenke and Godown area aged 3 -18 years old. This is a very poor neighborhood located on Naguru hill in Kampala, Uganda. The children and youth of Godown and the Kasenke have been out of school since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated school closures, which has exacerbated the poverty of their families and the neighborhood. The kids are not able to access online schooling due to their financial circumstances. During this time, many boys and a few girls still come out to the school fields where they gather daily to play football, rugby, tennis, netball, and other sports, mostly on their own initiative and mostly without shoes or other equipment. Most girls are staying home, helping families with chores, although some come to the fields to play. For all children, there are widespread reports of abuse, teen pregnancies, hunger due to lack of school feeding programs and the challenging economic conditions, and other problems.
Above all, during school closures, children and youth are left with no options for learning or positive development. At the end of July 2021, the government announced that the school closures would continue until a sufficient proportion of children aged 12-18 could get vaccinated, which seems to be a very distant goal. Children are excited and motivated by sports activities, which have the potential to enhance both physical fitness and soft skills including leadership, teamwork, and a positive outlook on the future.