On Tuesday March 14 and Wednesday March 15, Uganda and Aliguma Foundation (AF) hosted an extraordinary football administrator in Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) president Aleksander Čeferin.
Grand Entrance: Čeferin was greeted by a full gallery of media on arrival at Acholi Quarters Playground to preside over the Slum Schools Soccer Gala. (Photo/AF Media)
The primary objective of Čeferin’s visit was to visit and check on the progress of Aliguma Foundation’s Acholi Quarters Project that is currently being funded by the UEFA Foundation For Children.
The UEFA president Čeferin and his entourage comprising of UEFA’s Secretary General Urs Kluser, Kevin Lamour (Member of the Board) and Srsen Matej, a consultant, witnessed all they had come to see firsthand and in full measure.
Collated Summary: A brief video showing flashes at everything during the UEFA President Čeferin’s visit to Aliguma Foundation and the Acholi Quarters Project. (Video/AF Media)
From the VIP reception at Entebbe International Airport, to Acholi Quarters, it was a surreal and emotional experience for them as well as the State Minister for Sports Hon. Peter Ogwang and National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Ambrose Tashobya, who trekked along as Čeferin moved from one enterprise project to another.
Emotional experience
The ululations that greeted Čeferin on arrival at the Acholi Quarters Playground were deafening, to say the least! He got to share one-on-one chats with the little ones – managing to get them to smile and chat back.
The cultural and traditional dances from the elderly women – mothers of the slum children – were as captivating as those from the youth that danced to global music chart toppers which the UEFA envoy could have been familiar with.
But it was the soccer skills exhibited by the children taking part in the Slum Schools Soccer Gala – restricted to only primary schools – that got the envoy, community elders, journalists and other academy coaches wowed by their raw passion, standard at such a young age, tactical awareness and ecstatic goal celebrations of the 20 participating schools.
Below is our gallery of visuals from the UEFA envoy visit to Acholi Quarters, Uganda;
Epic Memories: A collection of images from the historic visit; right from the airport to Acholi Quarters' enterprise projects and finally to the playground. (Photos/AF Media)
It was only fitting that at the end of the 24-hour visit to Uganda Čeferin, who was overwhelmed by the works of the Aliguma Foundation, not only promised to offer more support so that the foundation continues to foster change in the community through sports and enterprise but also to visit again and stay longer so that he gets to see what life is really about for the slum dwellers.
Priceless Entertainment: A visit to Acholi Quarters is never complete without a series of entertainment breaks from the children, youth and elderly mothers. (Video/AF Media)
After the visit, there is certainly renewed hope for many in the slum communities across Uganda that better livelihoods can be achieved.