1. What is KKL?

Kampala Kids League is a voluntary sports league run by volunteers in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. It has had over 14,000 kids through it prograames over the ten years since it began in 1998.

The Euroteam, selcted from Kampala and the rural districts has won 17 International Trophies including 5 World Youth Cup championships making it the most successsful team in Africa in the 32 year history of the world cup. This is all the more remarkable as the entire Management team are volunteers!!!!

Out of the increasing awareness that sports had a very positive impact on disadvantaged people's lives - especially in building team ethic, citizenship and in giving out Health and Education messages, came the desire and need to professionalise the development part of the work in order to offer opportunities to more young people and get it funded....and so....The Kids League was born.

2. The Kids League (TKL) is a Non profit NGO registered in Uganda. The aims of the organisation are to help boys and girls aged 8-15 in Uganda improve their lives using sport as a means to promote global citizenship and to create education, health and HIV/Aids awareness. To November 2008, around 40,000 kids have been through its programmes.

What is the TKL Programme in Uganda? TKL identify and support those Districts who want their children to benefit from such programmes and then discusses with Local District Councils, Officials, Schools and other NGO’s on the best way to help children in the area.

TKL provides capacity building by training coaches and administrators to run quality sustainable football, netball and volleyball leagues in these Districts.

There are smart kits, certificates, trophies and medals provided to give a feeling of pride where the local surroundings perhpas mitigate against that precious feeling of achievement. Fields and equipment are improved. Coaches, administrators and officials receive special training.

TKL has also developed innovative peer education squads in the rural districts. This group of dynamic youth ambassadors will use Cheerleading, acrobatics, gymnastics, music, dance and drama to transmit health and education messages to spectators in an exciting and positive way.

How is the work funded? TKL seeks International Donors to support the start up of such programmes. TKL also look for local and international Commercial Sponsors to share in the positive publicity associated with the league under funding from their Corporate Social Responsibility Programmes. TKL believes that the role of commercial sponsors is vital to ensure sustainability should donor funding be reduced in the future.

How did the programme start? UNICEF asked TKL to set up a league in Gulu in 2004. Stanbic Bank and MTN immediately bought branding rights. Now in its third year TKL Gulu has provided the opportunity for over 3,500 boys and girls to play football and netball in a quality environment. Ex abductees affested by the LRA conflict in northern Uganda (now hopefully drawing to a close)have particularly benefited from this programme. Over 5,000 children in 8 IDP camps are now playing TKL football.

TKL then went on to establish programmes in some 13 other northern districts.

Other international donors have included USAID, the British High Commissioners, The Tides Foundation from USA, TPW West from USA, The Royal Danish Embassy, Motorcare, the EU and Barclays Bank.

What are the plans for TKL for the next few months? In July 2006 USAID also agreed to fund a TKL programme in Apac, under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and the CORE initiative. UNICEF have also requested TKL to establish leagues in IDP camps in Apac and Pader and to establish programmes in Karamoja in Moroto and Nakapiripirit Districts. UNICEF in Jan 2007 sponsored a TKL talented football team to compete in a tournament in Lima, Peru. The team also played FC Barcelona in Spain. FC Barcelona plan to send a youth team to Uganda later in the year. UK Sport have agreed to support TKL to produce an improved M&E model to show that Sport is improving children’s lives.

What about plans for the next few years? (i) TKL's development plan aims to establish a membership scheme so that a network of compatible youth sports leagues extend to 40% of the country. (ii) Get more girls involved in sport over the next 5 years. TKL started a community league in Kampala in 2007 to help kids in slum areas improve their lives through sport. (iii)Construct a National Children’s Sports Centre to provide opportunities for all children to improve their talents. (iv) Develop an exciting income generating sports equipment manufacturing unit to benefit schools. (v) Attract support from people and groups to help prepare a Ugandan girls football team to come to USA to take part in tournaments in 2008. This would create popular youth ambassadors and would help develop interest in the game for girls in Uganda. (vi)Develop ties with US Colleges that would provide a conduit for volunteers to come and work in our exciting programme and that provides an opportunity for talented sports students to come to US on a sports scholarship.

Already we have 10 more Districts which have committed District Officials and volunteers ready to get started. That’s over 100,000 children desperate to get involved in their own Kids Leagues!! More Districts are joining the queue every month. Unfortunately we do not have the donors or sponsors on board yet to fund these programmes.

What are the costs involved for Donors and sponsors for a whole District? This depends on the extent of the programme and how many children are to be reached. For one complete year of activity in one District that involves 3 seasons of football and netball and feeder programmes that would reach around 10,000 boys and girls the total cost to the Donor would be between $40,000 - $120,000 depending on the District and the extent of the programme. The total cost for a Commercial co-sponsor for branding rights would be between $3,000 - $8,000 per year. Exact costs depend on the requirements and objectives of the programme.

I am not a big international donor, how else can I support TKL activities? In each District that we operate we have identified and created plug in modules where for a smaller sum a Donor or sponsor can get actively involved in TKL. For example sponsoring a league in an IDP camp in the Northern Uganda conflict zones that would cost around $10,000 - $30,000 for a whole year.

We always have many other simple ideas and suggestions where funds from a donor or a sponsor can be used. For example just $20 will provide one quality football in an IDP camp and provide activity for over 100 kids for one whole year. $400 would provide a set of quality uniforms with your logo on and associated equipment to create a new team to be included in our programmes. Nike donated 4,500 items of sports apparel for distribution to desperate children in IDP camps. We also receive donations of second hand clothing which we distribute to needy kids and volunteers in IDP camps. Setting up sports leagues to encourage more girls to play sport would cost $18,000 per District. Tax efficient donations can be made through our pages on Global Giving website. www.globalgiving.org

How do I know my funding is being used effectively? TKL have carefully set up a team of dedicated young professionals under the leadership of Trevor Dudley who work with the Districts to make sure our programmes are a success. We ensure that wasteful overheads are kept to a minimum and that the large majority of funds received get to where they are needed – to the benefit of the kids themselves. We have testimonials available from all our Donors on the effective work that we are doing. We also ensure that reports are prepared regularly and audits carried out every year.

How can a donor get involved in helping TKL? We are always ready to discuss ways and means to see how we can work together to help the underprivileged children of Uganda improve their lives through sport.

Please contact us at Tel +256 772 415193 or email Trevor Dudley at thekidsleague@yahoo.co.uk or check out our website at www//thekidsleague.org.

We look forward to forming new Donor and Sponsor partnerships to ensure that every District is given the opportunity to join in The Kids League activities.

The Kids League Uganda PO Box 8392, Kampala, Plot 35, Nakasero Rd Kampala Tel +256 772 415193, email info@thekidsleague.org