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Play for Health

Football-powered Mental Health, Hygiene, and Peer Support

In Uganda’s urban communities, many children face stress, anxiety, and health problems, but few have access to care or safe spaces to talk about it. In these settings, football isn’t just a game. It becomes a trusted way to start conversations, build friendships, and learn how to care for yourself and others.

Why it matters

In Uganda, 1 in 5 children experience a mental health issue, yet fewer than 10% receive any form of support. Issues like anxiety, depression, and trauma go unaddressed. Not because they’re rare, but because they’re taboo. Preventable hygiene-related illnesses such as diarrhoea and skin infections are among the leading causes of school absenteeism.

Children often face these challenges alone. Topics like stress, grief, and menstruation are rarely discussed at home or in classrooms. This silence leads to shame, isolation, and fear, especially for girls. The consequences? Poor academic performance, low self-esteem, school dropout, and even self-harm. 

Play for Health seeks to break this silence. Using football as an entry point to open conversations, build life skills, and create safe, supportive spaces. Led by trained coaches, peer mentors and teachers, the program tackles stigma, equips children with tools for healthy living, emotional resilience, and normalizes health education.

What we do

We combine health education with football and peer-led activities to support children’s physical and mental well-being. Our approach is simple, engaging, and tailored to real-life school and community settings.

1

BUREF – Building Resilience through Football

Peer-led mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) in schools and communities

  • Play-based, peer-led sessions that help children name their emotions, manage stress, and build resilience.
  • Safe spaces where children can express, connect, and support each other.
  • Mental health clubs run by trained peer facilitators (students) with guidance from teachers and coaches.
  • Facilitator training for teachers and youth leaders using the BUREF manual.

2

Football 4 WASH

A fun, football-based way to teach hygiene and healthy habits. (WASH = Water, Sanitation &Hygiene).

  • Football drills are used to teach handwashing, safe water use, sanitation, and menstrual hygiene.
  • Coaches and teachers are trained to deliver these sessions in schools and communities through a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) model.
  • Children take part in clean-up events, school hygiene campaigns, and health talks with parents and caregivers
  • Girls receive support and education to manage menstruation with dignity and confidence

How we know it’s working

We see real change in schools and communities: We use simple tools like before-and-after surveys, session checklists, and participants feedback to measure learning and adjust our programs.

Independent evaluation shows children in Football 4 WASH are 7x more likely to remember and practice hygiene messages.
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63% of youths in BUREF schools show improved awareness and openness about mental health.
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350+ teachers and community coaches have been trained to support children's health through play.
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Support Play for Health

Your gift brings health and hope to children through football: Help children stay healthy, confident, and ready to learn — on and off the field.

  • $15 gives a child access to mental health sessions and follow-up support
  • $75 equips one school with a full Football 4 WASH toolkit and training materials
  • $250 trains a student and teacher team to run a school-based mental health club

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