Tecno Refurbishes Uganda School for the Deaf Playground to Expand Sports Opportunities for Children With Disabilities

The Uganda School for the Deaf in Ntinda has   welcomed the refurbishment of a six-a-side football pitch  describing it  as an important investment in sports, talent development and inclusive education. The pitch was refurbished and donated by Tecno Mobile Uganda under its Dream on the Field initiative, a five-year programme launched in 2024 in collaboration with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to renovate 100 football pitches across Africa. The Uganda School for the Deaf is the first beneficiary of the initiative in the country, with the programme expected to extend to five schools in Kampala. The refurbished pitch, covering nearly 1,000 square metres, is expected to provide a safer and more accessible sporting environment for more than 200 pupils at the school, while also potentially benefiting more than 500 football enthusiasts from the surrounding community, subject to the school's access arrangements. Speaking at the handover, KCCA Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said the authority views sport as an important component of education rather than simply a recreational activity. “As KCCA, we recognise that sport is not all about a recreation activity, but it is also going to provide holistic education,” Kigenyi said. He said the initiative fits within the changes introduced by Uganda's new curriculum, which places greater emphasis on developing learners beyond academic knowledge. “With the new curriculum, greater emphasis is on developing learners beyond academic knowledge and equipping them with practical skills and competencies to have well-rounded individuals,” he said. Kigenyi said KCCA's education directorate is focused on improving sports facilities in the city and creating environments where young people can identify and develop their talents. “This initiative is well aligned with our strategic focus of the Directorate of Education of improving sports facilities in the city and enabling the community with an environment for talent identification and nurturing,” he said. He added that KCCA's engineering and technical teams would provide support during the first year of maintenance. “Our engineering team and the technical staff are here. We're going to offer all the support to ensure this facility is well taken care of and also we're going to see that the usage of the facility is actually right,” Kigenyi said. He stressed, however, that the school children must remain the priority in determining how the facility is used. “But the school should always ensure that kids are number one priority. So no activities when the school programs are going on,” he said. Kigenyi described the pitch as more than a sports ground, particularly for learners with disabilities. “This here is not simply a field. It is a platform of inclusion, talent, development, health and happiness. For our children who experience the world differently, sports builds confidence, teamwork and a sense of belonging.” He said the project had also helped bring the excitement surrounding the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations closer to the school community. “You have given them dignity and an opportunity. You have made the Pamoja AFCON 2027 dream alive. You have already brought forward AFCON 2027 to the Uganda community, to the Ntinda School of the Deaf,” Kigenyi said. The Headmistress of Uganda School for the Deaf, Doreen Agondeze, said the new pitch represented an investment in the health, talents, confidence and future of the school's learners. “This is not simply a football pitch; it is an investment in the health, talents, confidence and future of our learners,” she said. Agondeze said sports play an important role in the development of deaf learners by creating opportunities to build teamwork, discipline, leadership, confidence, physical fitness and social skills. “Through football and other games, our children develop teamwork, discipline, leadership, confidence, physical fitness and social skills. This new pitch will provide our learners with a safe and suitable place to practise, compete and develop their sporting abilities,” she said. She said the school believes some of its pupils could go on to become professional footballers, coaches, sports leaders and champions. “We believe that among these young learners may be future footballers, coaches, sports leaders and champions,” Agondeze said. “Tecno has therefore not only built a pitch; you have helped us to build hope, talents and opportunities.” Addressing the pupils, Agondeze urged them to make full use of the facility. “Use it well, train hard, respect one another, follow the guidance of your teachers and coaches and always remember that talent combined with discipline can take you far,” she said. Brenda Orishaba, a supervisor representing KCCA's Directorate of Education and Social Services, said the project was designed to address the shortage of safe and quality sports facilities in the city's government-aided schools. She said Uganda School for the Deaf was selected as the first beneficiary because KCCA wanted the initiative to begin by addressing the needs of children with special needs. “This is the first pilot and we started with this school together with TECNO because we had an urge that we have to start with our children with special needs,” Orishaba said.