Game Connect champions mental health through football, netball, and volleyball

The Association of Volunteers in International Service (AVSI) Uganda Project Officer, Joanita Nanyunja Ssebayiga, has announced that they will continue to use sports to enhance the mental health and psychosocial well-being of young people aged 15-24 within refugee settlements and host communities through the Game Connect program.

The Olympic Refugee Foundation has been implementing Game Connect, a structured Sport for Protection project in Uganda, since 2021.

This initiative is carried out in partnership with the AVSI Foundation, the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), UNHCR, Right to Play, and Youth Sport Uganda. 

During a media engagement at the Uganda Olympic Committee offices on Friday, Nanyunja emphasized the importance of using structured sports to communicate messages that promote cohesion among youth as they learn to work together.

Game Connect Program Manager Lydia Murungi (left) addresses journalists during a media engagement at UOC offices. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

She pointed out that this approach helps young people cope with stress, anxiety, and depression, especially as refugees face various challenges in their home countries, during their journeys, and while settling in Uganda. 

“Following a rigorous study, we found that the sport model for mental health is effective. Combining sports with life skills training helps address mental health issues. Based on this evidence and our experience, we plan to continue scaling this initiative, which is why we want to amplify this message,” stated Nanyunja. 

She expressed a desire for more stakeholders, particularly in the private sector, to join their efforts, as AVSI and its partners cannot reach every area on their own.

“Sport for mental health has been proven to improve the well-being of young people, but we believe it can benefit everyone if contextualized appropriately.

“We have only reached 3.5 percent of the young people in need, while assessments show that over 95 percent are struggling with mental health issues. To reach the rest of the population, we need more partners to implement what we do and attract additional donors,” she explained. 

Game Connect operates in several refugee settlements, including Rwamwanja in Kikuube district, Kyangwali in Adjumani, and Pagirinya, as well as in urban refugee communities in Makindye and Nakawa in Kampala.

UOC president Donald Rukare (in googles) and Game Connect officials posesome of the peer educators, volunteers and journalists after a media engagement at UOC offices. Photo by Michael Nsubuga

UOC President Donald Rukare noted that Uganda hosts 1.7 million refugees, and this project aims to enhance their social protection.

"It has been successful, and we are pleased to be part of this consortium with AVSI and other partners," Rukare said. 

As the UOC, we have been exploring ways to use sports to address issues of anxiety and depression, and the results have been positive. We look forward to advancing this project further," he added.

Program Manager Lydia Murungi indicated they aim to reach 16,500 youth, with equal distribution between refugees and host communities. 

“We are focusing on fewer locations to maximize our outreach to more youth in those areas. “In this phase, we agreed to enhance our advocacy initiatives. Another significant change in Phase 2 involves scaling our approach. We decided not only to concentrate on our consortium but also to identify schools where we can train teachers to deliver this module.“ 

Additionally, we will seek civil society organiSations interested in adopting this approach, which will help popularize and scale it beyond just our consortium. We've also included a small livelihood component in our plans,” she stated. Murungi mentioned that the program would concentrate on football, netball, and volleyball. 

She added that they had developed structures to form sports clubs and provided a significant amount of capacity building through administrative and technical courses. 

“This is something new for the communities involved, as we have conducted technical courses in football, netball, and volleyball. We have also connected youth to national sports institutions and organizations for bursaries and organised annual sports galas, like the one scheduled for Kyangwali in August. Additionally, we procure and distribute sports equipment. Some of our achievements include reaching 9,000 youths, training teachers, and promoting coexistence. We have formed over 31 clubs (15 for football, 10 for netball, and 6 for volleyball) in various locations for young people involved in the Game Connect program. They also engage with other youth within their communities. We have successfully linked over 36 young individuals to different sports clubs, particularly the Nemo Stars Volleyball Club in Kampala.

 “Game Connect has demonstrated that sport is not just for play; it is a pathway to healing, resilience, and connection for thousands of young people. It is a powerful tool that we can use to support them.” Murungi stated.