The Right to Dream on – TableTennisUnited Fund Supports Children in Uganda
With the TableTennisUnited Fund, donors worldwide and the ITTF Group are sending help where it is needed the most. In Uganda, the Fund and thanks to the kind donation from Shanghai Double Happiness Co.,Ltd has helped Mimi’s Tables, a local NGO to support underprivileged children in Naguru, Kampala through the Covid-19 hardship.
Amina Lukaaya, Ugandan national women’s champion, has always been our inspiration. She funded Mimi’s Tables in 2017 to give children in informal settlements the opportunity to develop their talent in sport to break the chains of poverty and crime. The grassroot Table Tennis academy was flourishing and changing the lives of underprivileged children on a daily basis. Until Covid-19.
The global pandemic crippled Mimi’s Tables. Amina Lukaaya refused to give up and reached out to the ITTF Foundation. With the TableTennisUnited Fund, we are happy to have gotten the academy back on its feet, and to see it embracing a new mission in empowering young women in the community.
If a child can have a dream to be better than they have seen in their homes and communities, then I would be immensely proud of them; this is what I bring to them. A chance to dream. - Amina Lukaaya
The right to “dream on”
Prior to the pandemic, Amina Lukaaya has been teaching the children at Mimi’s Tables her top-class techniques, inspiring countless youngsters to explore their potential and pursuit their dreams. The TableTennisUnited Fund ensured the dreams could sail on under the stormy condition which Covid‑19 has brought upon us. Financial aid allowed the children to resume training, while health measures could be implemented once again to offer a safe training environment.
The focus on self-worth
The TableTennisUnited Fund also helped Amina Lukaaya to extend her reach to empower young women in her community.
On April 6, 2021, as a part of the World Table Tennis Day and FEMpowerment celebration, a group of children and teenagers met with Nakiwala Sumaya, a female entrepreneur and a Councillor elect of Bweyogerere at Kira municipality. Followed by her speech was a “girls talk” session, in which Nakiwala Sumaya explored with her female audience their inspirations, fears, insecurities and things that make them happy or sad.
Girls here do not always have female role models. These are some of the topics that never came up when I was growing up. It is important for them to know their self-worth and that they matter. - Amina Lukaaya
The story of Mimi’s Tables and the children continues, as the TableTennisUnited Fund marches on to support more organisations and individuals in the Table Tennis community during Covid-19. Donate now to help those in need, or apply for help if you need a hand during this crisis.
Read about how TableTennisUnited Fund has helped local clubs in Croatia during the pandemic.
Find out how World Table Tennis Day is celebrated around the world.