Watoto Wasoka

Watoto Wasoka Changing lives, one game at a time. Watoto Wasoka uses football to improve health and learning for underserved children in Uganda.

Our play-based, peer-led programs build life skills, promote mental wellness, and create brighter futures through sport. WATOTO WASOKA was founded in 2009. We are a local NGO in the heart of Kampala’s slums. We are a non-profit, youth-led, community development organisation that uses football as a vehicle for social change in the life of slum children in Uganda. We aim to change lives, one game at

a time, by creating purposeful opportunities for play through structured football programs. As such, we use football as our main attraction and medium of expression. As one of our main support concepts, we facilitate access to primary and secondary education for slum children. Through our close ties with the local slum football scene and public and private schools, we have a unique network which has enabled more than 500 kids to attend school which they would otherwise not have. We also run two of Uganda’s most exciting football events for disadvantaged youths: the annual Christmas Camp and Slums Derby, whose last editions were attended by 2,200 and 700 kids from all across Uganda respectively.

Football is more than a game.It is friendship. Confidence. Learning. Health. Hope.Every week in our communities, childre...
26/05/2026

Football is more than a game.
It is friendship. Confidence. Learning. Health. Hope.

Every week in our communities, children come together through football and play to learn, grow, support one another, and dream bigger.

This , we stand with the global football community in showing that football has a heart. ❤️

At Watoto Wasoka, we use football to help children learn and stay healthy.

Because every child deserves:
⚽ A safe space to play
📚 A chance to learn
💚 Support to stay healthy and thrive

Today, we are sharing the Watoto Wasoka Annual Report 2025.This was an important year for us.Not because we did more.But...
22/05/2026

Today, we are sharing the Watoto Wasoka Annual Report 2025.

This was an important year for us.

Not because we did more.
But because we became clearer about what works.

Over the years, we have reached thousands of children through football, play, camps, and community activities. But in 2025, we asked ourselves a harder question:

What actually creates consistent outcomes for children over time?

The answer was clear:
events create reach, but systems create impact.

So this year, we began shifting from one-off activities toward consistent, school-based delivery led by peers, supported by teachers, and embedded within existing systems.

In 2025:
• 3,808 children were reached through programmes and events
• 852 children participated regularly through structured sessions
• Children in Football 4 WASH demonstrated a 28% increase in WASH knowledge
• 100 WYLA scholars continued progressing through school with ongoing support

The report also shares what did not work, what we learned, and where we are going next.

Because our goal is not just to reach more children.
It is to build something that works — and continues to work.

Read the full report here:

This was a year of learning, a year of finding clarity.

Over two impactful days at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute, the   Slums Derby 2026 brought together 2,100 children ...
22/05/2026

Over two impactful days at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute, the Slums Derby 2026 brought together 2,100 children from different communities through the unifying power of football.

Beyond the 235 matches played, the derby created a safe space for children to build friendships, gain confidence, showcase talent, and experience joy, inclusion, and teamwork. From young boys and girls competing passionately on the pitch to sharing meals and moments off it, the event demonstrated how sport can positively transform lives and communities.

The Slums Derby continues to prove that grassroots football is not just about finding winners; it is about creating hope, opportunity, and brighter futures for children.




Watoto Wasoka extends heartfelt gratitude to all the children, coaches, academies, volunteers, supporters, and partners ...
22/05/2026

Watoto Wasoka extends heartfelt gratitude to all the children, coaches, academies, volunteers, supporters, and partners who made the Slums Derby 2026 a success ❤️⚽

We'd like to thank Buziga Islamic Theological Institute for hosting and supporting an event that brought communities together and created meaningful opportunities for young people.

Beyond football, the derby continues to demonstrate the power of sport in nurturing talent, building friendships, inspiring hope, and creating positive impact in the lives of children and youth.

Visit: watotowasoka.ug


The   may be over, but the memories remain. ⚽❤️More than 2,000 children from communities across Kampala came together to...
19/05/2026

The may be over, but the memories remain. ⚽❤️

More than 2,000 children from communities across Kampala came together to play, compete, and celebrate the power of football and play.

Thank you to NTV Uganda for covering this year’s event and capturing some of the energy, joy, and community spirit that made it so special.

Watch this short clip from the event below.

📺 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrObBpij4O0

Masaka’s El Cambio Football Academy are the winners of this year’s edition of the Slums Derby among the under-13 boys held at Buziga Islamic School in Kampa...

14/05/2026

⚽ IT'S GAME ON! 🔥

The Slums Derby 2026 has officially kicked off.

Today, 96 boys’ teams are competing in a full day of football, teamwork and joy. 🙌🏾

Tomorrow, the girls take centre stage in the Girls U-13 category. 👧🏾⚽

More than a tournament.
A celebration of childhood, community and the power of play. ❤️

Tomorrow, it all kicks off! The Slums Derby 2026 gets underway tomorrow - two days of football, fun engagements, and an ...
13/05/2026

Tomorrow, it all kicks off!

The Slums Derby 2026 gets underway tomorrow - two days of football, fun engagements, and an opportunity for 2,000+ youngsters to experience fundamental life skills, safe spaces, and medical support through the power of sport.

Join us at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute as we celebrate community, hope, and the future of our children.


ONE DAY TO GO!Tomorrow, the fun begins!The Slums Derby 2026 returns (May 14th & 15th) at Buziga Islamic Theological Inst...
13/05/2026

ONE DAY TO GO!

Tomorrow, the fun begins!

The Slums Derby 2026 returns (May 14th & 15th) at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute.

Over 2,000 boys and girls. Two unforgettable days of football, joy, growth, and opportunities.

⚽️ 3 DAYS TO GO! ⚽️The countdown is on! In just 3 days, The Slums Derby 2026 kicks off. 🔥2,000+ boys and girls from comm...
11/05/2026

⚽️ 3 DAYS TO GO! ⚽️

The countdown is on! In just 3 days, The Slums Derby 2026 kicks off. 🔥

2,000+ boys and girls from communities across Kampala will come together for two unforgettable days of football, teamwork, friendship, and joy.

📅 May 14–15, 2026
📍 Buziga Islamic Theological Institute
👦🏾 Boys U-13
👧🏾 Girls U-13

More than football.
A celebration of childhood, community, and the power of play.

  More than a tournament. A movement of hope, opportunity, and community impact. The 11th edition of the Slums Derby in ...
08/05/2026



More than a tournament. A movement of hope, opportunity, and community impact. The 11th edition of the Slums Derby in 2025 took place on May 17–18 at Makerere University Grounds.

Over 2,000 youngsters, featuring U-13 boys and U-14 girls from communities across Kampala and surrounding areas, came together for one of East Africa’s biggest grassroots football tournaments focused on using football for social change.

The tournament began with 96 boys’ teams battling through the opening stages, creating a weekend filled with energy, talent, resilience, and unforgettable moments.

But beyond the competition, the Slums Derby created something bigger:

- Clean water for participating children
- Meals throughout the tournament
- Medical support and safe spaces
- Opportunities for children to play, belong, and dream

For many of these children, the Slums Derby is more than football. It is a platform for confidence, connection, joy, and hope. We celebrate the continued journey of using sport to transform lives.

Address

22, Ssemwezi Road, Nabisasiro/Lungujja
Kampala

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