My

Story

Aloro

My name is Aloro, and I have been a teacher at one of the community schools in Rhino Camp since 2018. Originally, I am from South Sudan, but I was forced to flee my home country and leave my family behind in 2016 because of the ongoing conflicts in the region.  Today, I am very grateful to live here, at a place where I feel protected and there is peace.

I used to play football for many years, but after arriving in Uganda as a refugee, I saw the circumstances and decided to become a teacher. Nowadays, I teach English and Mathematics for children and teenagers at a primary school. With up to 200 students in a single class, the local school faces enormous challenges and as resources are scarce, the children have to share toys and learning materials. As there are not enough teachers, I must divide them into smaller groups and appoint group leaders to make education possible.

I use educational games and sports as a tool to teach my students, combining education and fun to create a better learning environment. For me, being a teacher is more than just education, it is also an opportunity to help my community at large.

I truly love working with children and seeing the changes in them. At the Camp, I also volunteer as a team leader for an organisation, which allows me to meet people from different backgrounds, both from Uganda and South Sudan, and bring them together.

The Young Coach Education has helped me grow as a mentor and role model. It allows me to empower children as they are growing up and teach them through sports. Seeing these children inspires me to continue teaching to show them the values of sport, to strengthen their life skills and guide them on how to build a livelihood.

Through the programme I learned that coaching football is not only about the game itself, but also a way of maintaining the children mentally and physically fit. Through sports, we can teach them how to respect each other and how to live peacefully in diverse societies. I also enjoy the mix between the tactical and fun aspects of the game.

As I am the only one from my region of seven villages to be picked to take part in the Young Coach Education programme, I plan to return to Rhino Camp and pass down what I’ve learned to my community. In that way I can mentor other young leaders to become community football coaches and strengthen learning opportunities. Together, we can move forward within our communities and find better solutions to the challenges we face.