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Play for All

Creating equal opportunities and growing talent through football

Football should be for everyone — regardless of gender, background, or ability. At Watoto Wasoka, we make sure it is.

Why it matters

In Uganda’s urban slums, girls and marginalised children are routinely excluded from sport, leadership, and even basic education.

  • Only 1 in 3 girls in Uganda participates in any form of organised sport.
  • Many face deep-rooted gender norms, harassment, and limited safe spaces to play.
  • Children with disabilities, or those from extremely poor families, are often left out entirely.
  • The result? A generation of young people sidelined. From the pitch, the classroom, and society.

When children play, they don’t just build skills. They build confidence, friendships, resilience, and leadership. And when girls play, they’re more likely to stay in school, delay marriage, and speak up for themselves and others.

Play for All is Watoto Wasoka’s football-powered push for equity. We create inclusive, safe, and structured spaces where every child, especially girls and underserved youth, can play, grow, and thrive.

  • Because real development doesn’t happen on the sidelines.
  • It happens when every child gets a chance to play, and shine.

What we do

Play for All blends grassroots participation, elite training, and inclusive events — using football as a platform for gender equality, talent development, and youth empowerment.

Girls’ football development

We’re committed to making football a space where girls feel welcome, seen, and celebrated.

  • Development and support of girls’ football teams in schools and communities
  • Training and mentorship for female coaches
  • Structured leagues and competitions that centre girls’ participation

Sparta 09 Academy

Sparta 09 is our elite youth football academy, a launchpad for talent and leadership. A growing alumni network, including players on Uganda’s senior and youth national teams.

  • Football: High-level football training and exposure to national pathways
  • Education: Academic support and mentorship for success in school.
  • Character: Discipline, teamwork and leadership development.
Sparta 09 Team
Sparta 09 Team
Sparta 09 Girls Team
UYFA Championship
Christmas Event
Christmas Camp
Slum Derby
Slum Derby

Football events and tournaments

Our events are more than matches — they’re celebrations of inclusion, visibility, and joy.

  • Slums Derby: Since 2013: Uganda’s largest informal settlement football festival, bringing together 2,000+ children annually.
  • Women’s Derby: Held each March to celebrate girls’ football and the International Women’s Day.
  • Christmas Camp: Our biggest annual event, welcoming 3,000+ children from across Uganda for a week of football, learning, and friendship.
  • Seasonal leagues and community festivals: promoting teamwork, belonging, and play for all

How we know it’s working

We track participation data, conduct regular surveys, and collect personal stories to inform and adapt our work.

40+ girls’ teams actively supported in Kampala and Wakiso
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25 Sparta 09 alumni progressing in elite football and national teams
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60% increase in female participation across programs in 4 years
0 %

Support Play for Health

Help us build a more inclusive football future — one game at a time.

  • $80 equips a girls’ team with football kits
  • $100 funds coaching and mentorship for female players
  • $500 sponsors one Sparta 09 scholarship for a year
  • $5,000 funds a football festival for 2,000 children

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