Xcalibur Foundation and Real Madrid Foundation develop their first joint Social Sports Academy in Uganda

The agreement was ratified by Enrique Sánchez, Executive Vice President of Real Madrid Foundation, and María José© Toro Sánchez, President of Xcalibur Foundation, in a ceremony attended by Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid’s Ambassador.

The Foundations reach the district of Nakawa, in Kampala, targeting an initial group of 160 children and youth from Naguru Katali Primary School. The school is located in the Naguru slum, a settlement that lacks basic needs such as access to drinking water, shelter, health and education.

The project, in collaboration with the Real Madrid Foundation and MTN Uganda, will be operated by the local NGO Youth Sport Uganda (YSU). Moreover, it counts on the support of the Ugandan government, materialized through the Ministry of Education and Sports, with whom Xcalibur Foundation has signed a MoU.

School teachers and community facilitators will be trained under Real Madrid Foundation’s unique and pioneer education in values methodology: for a Real Education: Values and Sport, to run sport and social activities with children and youth.

These activities will enhance the life skills of children and youth, and address issues of wellbeing, child protection, conflict management, gender equality, disability and inclusion as well as positive child and youth development.

It is worth highlighting the role of MTN Uganda, who has been committed to support this project, not only as the Title sponsor, but also through the institutional and personal involvement of its employees and managers. From the beginning, MTN has shown its passion, solidarity, and dedication, to be a part of this project and participate in all its stages.

María José Toro Sánchez expressed her gratitude and enthusiasm for a project that will encourage school commitment and facilitate access to formal education, and promote key social values such as respect, equality, or health.

I hope that it will be the first of many projects we do together. Soon after, Arbeloa explained: With this social sports academy that combines football values learning with comprehensive educational focus, the beneficiaries themselves will become catalysts for change in their environments, and this projection into the future, forward, is the most important thing: changing lives through sport.