Sport has reamained one of the major attractions in every part of the world, and it is for this reason that many organizations including UNICEF have used it to fight HIV/AIDS
Uganda is one of the worst hit nations by the AIDS scourge, and every available opportunity has been used to fight it.
As there is no known cure at the moment, the most prudent means used against Aids ,has been the awareness drive, starting right from children.
"Using sport and recreation to bring children together, was the major reason TKL was started three years ago in Uganda’s
capital, Kampala" Said the founder, Mr.Trever Dudley.
Sport as a tool for Development
“You throw a ball into a village in Uganda and within 10 minutes 100 children have gathered,” explained TKL’s country programme director, Trevor Dudley.
“Any sport – be it netball, football or basketball – is like a magnet and is a wonderful way to unite children and break down barriers.”
The TKL project is a powerful tool for spreading important messages on health and education.
The results are impressive. According to Mr. Dudley, attendance rates in schools where TKL is active have improved, and children are much more aware about problems such as HIV and
Alzheimer's Society.
 |  You throw a ball into a village in Uganda and within 10 minutes 100 children have gathered  Trevor Dudley TKL founder.  |
They were successful on one count - that tests to assess Alzheimer's are discriminatory in people with learning difficulties or those who speak English as a second language.
But claims that NICE did not properly evaluate the impact of the drugs on the quality of life of carers and that the figures on the cost of long-term care used in their analysis were too low were not upheld by the court.
AIDS.
“Taking part in activities such as The Kid’s League makes children believe in themselves,” added coach Eddie Butindo.
He added:“I have seen their behaviour change. They are more disciplined, show more humility but are also positive about their lives.”
Teamwork, friendship and leadership
Many of the children in the programme come from the north of Uganda, where conflict and violence have been a part of life for 20 years.
More than a million people live in internally displaced people’s camps where conditions are harsh and often unsafe.
“I come from a place where life is very, very difficult,” explained Richard Oloya Aceba, 14, who lives in a Kitgum District camp for people displaced by the conflict.
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“Before I joined The Kids League it was bad, as I had nothing to do all day and spent my time thinking about worrying about tomorrow,” he said.
He continued “Now I am much happier, as I can get out and see other places.”
Through sport, TKL children learn about teamwork, friendship and leadership skills. Volunteers from the community work as referees, coaches and administrators.
Very often, it is the children’s parents themselves who participate.
TKL team visits Barcelona
Keen to demonstrate the importance of UNICEF’s sports for development programmes, FC Barcelona invited the TKL members to spend the day at the club and play a game against one of Barcelona’s junior teams earlier this year.
Amongst the TV cameras and photographers, 16 boys from Uganda shivered in the cold and rain but waited patiently.
When the moment arrived, they walked out onto the pitch in Camp Nou – the stadium of Football Club Barcelona – and the crowd roared in appreciation.
The boys appeared calm but deep inside, they said later, they could not believe what was happening to them. “I saw Ronaldinho with my naked eyes!” enthused one boy, Ali Abujeri.
The teenagers belong to The Kids League (TKL), a non-governmental organization supported by UNICEF in Uganda.
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