The team at International Sports Convention is excited to be collaborating with KitAid as our charity partner for 2024 and 2025. See below two of the many projects that KitAid have been working with.
KitAid is a volunteer run registered charity which sends unwanted items of sports kit to projects across the Developing World.
CHIMPANZEE FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT – Football for Conservation
In western Uganda, a population of about 300 wild chimpanzees cling to survival in disappearing habitat around villages and towns in the neighbouring districts of Hoima and Kikuube. Since the 1990s, most natural forest in this region has been cut down for timber and converted to farmland, as farmers seek to improve their livelihoods and provide for their families. However, deforestation has caused escalating conflicts between villagers and the resident chimpanzees, which now compete with each other for space and resources.
The Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project (BCCP) was started in 2015 to conserve the chimpanzees in Hoima and Kikuube districts, and support local households, to aid more peaceful coexistence. They offer local people livelihood alternatives to deforestation, sponsor village savings groups, invest in children’s education, promote tree planting and natural forest conservation, and help improve quality of life through constructing water boreholes in villages and providing households with energy cook stoves. In parallel, we monitor and study the region’s unique ‘village chimpanzees’ to understand and mitigate threats to their survival.
Since 2018, BCCP has implemented a ‘Football for Conservation’ programme. Football is enormously popular in Uganda and many villages have local teams. Using the universal language and popularity of football, our football league allows us to engage with young men (aged between 15–25 years), who are often involved in forest degradation activities such as charcoal burning and timber cutting. By sponsoring local football teams with kits and balls, and arranging matches and tournaments, the program helps demonstrate to local communities that we are invested in them and their youth. Additionally, the tournaments provide an ideal platform to convey messages about environmental issues, the chimpanzees and conservation to a large audience, helping to reduce misconceptions and mitigating tension between local residents and chimpanzees.
Find out more HERE
Fomo Women’s Football Club
Fomo Women’s Football Club, (FOMO WFC) has been running for a couple of years with local games to promote the sport in the under 14s and under 16s. We are now ready to take the next step and join the Southern Region U16s women’s league. This consists of ten teams from the southern region.
With the great success and growth of the men’s teams, offering opportunities for young girls to play football not only contributes to their individual growth and well-being but also plays a significant role in promoting equality and creating a more inclusive and progressive community.
Find out more about KitAid here: Kit for Africa – KitAid distributes your old kit to the world poorest countries
Donate to KitAid here: Donate – Kit for Africa – KitAid distributes your old kit to the world poorest countries
