Watoto Wasoka pilots sports-based mental health programme in Kampala Schools

Watoto Wasoka has introduced a school-based mental health programme targeting learners in 10 selected public secondary schools in Kampala, using structured sports and games to promote mental wellness, strengthen peer support and link students to professional mental health services.

The intervention is being piloted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the Ministry of Health.

Hajji Saidi Nsamba, who coordinates mental health and psychosocial support at different levels within the Ministry of Education and Sports, said the programme will use structured sports and games to enhance the mental wellness of learners within the selected schools.

Nsamba was speaking during the inception meeting for the intervention under the Watoto Wasoka programme at Fairway Hotel on 30th October.

He said learners are still developing, with their brains continuing to form, making play an important part of their learning and development.

"Children do a lot of learning through play. A game will be introduced, and the children will be able to connect, reflect and identify issues, including who their peers are, whether they are good peers, where the support systems are and where to go when they have a problem," he said.

He said the 10 schools, including Lubiri SS, Kibuli SS, Old Kampala, Kalinabiri SS, Makerere College, Natete Muslim High School, St Denis Ssebugwawo, Kampala High School, Mariam High School and Luzira SS, would serve as a pilot for Kampala, with lessons from the implementation informing possible expansion to other schools.

Watoto Wasoka is a youth-led, non-profit "sport-for-development" organization based in Kampala, Uganda, that uses football (soccer) as a tool for social change among children living in urban slums and underserved communities.

Francis Mugoya, Chief Executive Officer of Watoto Wasoka, said the decision to move the intervention into schools followed lessons from an earlier community-based mental health programme.

He said some of the biggest manifestations of mental health challenges in schools include anxiety and stress, but there are also extreme challenges like suicidal thoughts.

"So the idea we have is a model that we call the three P's: play, peers and pathways. And the idea behind it is that we start with play — football on one hand, but play in general — that students can be engaged in a non-intimidating way, engaging, but also non-stigmatising through games.

And then we proceed to make sure that the peers inside the schools understand mental health as a topic, but they can also provide a basic level of support," he said.

Francis Bateireho, programmes officer at Watoto Wasoka, who is also coordinating the school mental health programme, said the pilot is intended to establish whether the model is affordable and sustainable for schools and government.

"We are looking at finding the cost per student so that we can use the evidence to show that it is less costly to implement this intervention in schools than to wait until children develop addiction, depression or anxiety and then seek treatment at Butabika Hospital," Bateireho said.

Bateireho said the first step will be to raise awareness about mental health among learners, teachers and school communities, followed by training teachers and peer leaders selected from participating schools.

The peer leaders will serve as the first line of support for fellow students, helping them recognise challenges and seek assistance.

The programme will also conduct baseline and follow-up surveys to assess learners' mental health needs and determine the appropriate support.

Bateireho said increasing awareness and making support accessible would encourage learners to seek help early, preventing their challenges from worsening and enabling them to remain in school while maintaining their mental well-being.