In 2013, the CNN carried out a survey on Alcohol drinkers across the world. Uganda was ranked 8th and the leading in Africa.
Uganda is also ranked among the most social country in the world. This gets me thinking on how much time and money Ugandans spend in the bar alone.
Our love for partying and social events has seen a number of events including; #Beers and Beer event #Cake and ice cream event among others successful.
Why don’t we spend this time and money contributing to something that can benefit another person or disadvantaged child in return.
#5AsideUG is a campaign that is mainly run on social media about a football tournament that brings together youth from around the country at a fee and all the proceeds go to Charity.
This annual one-day football fundraiser involving 32 teams, each with a minimum of 5 players and unlimited substitutes attracts over 1000 revelers.
The birth
#5AsideUG is a brain child of the famous 40 days over 40 smiles foundation.
The 40 days over 40 smiles foundation is an organisation started in 2012 by Esther Kalenzi as a facebook campaign purposely to collect clothes and foodstuffs for children in orphanages around Easter that year. The campiagn according to Kalenzi was to extend a hand to hundreds of children in financially starved orphanages in Luweero.
Below is a video showing Easter event that happened in Luweero
However as Benjamin Rukwengye one of the directors of 40 days over 40 smiles explains, the need became bigger.
ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
40days over 40smiles has had quite a number of campaigns and activities that have helped children in Uganda through events like Basketball and Football games, music and poetry. They have raised over Ushs 100 Million which has been used to improve lives of over 500 children.
40days over 40 smiles activities are based on programmes that support value addition in education like Food and Nutrition, Literacy, Health and Sanitation and Extra Curricular Activities.
The foundation like any other organization needs help from the audience especially on the causes to support. But this is not only about recommending a person but also they take due diligence in finding out more about that particular need.
HOW 40 days over 40 smiles is sustainable?
While Most charity organisations worry about notwithstanding the test of time because of funding , 40days over 40 smiles believes it will be here for long because of the different strategies used to get funds.
It has a group of volunteers who use activities that are fun and enjoyable thus encouraging youth to participate willingly.
The foundation mainly communicates and operates on social media and this has made it easy for it to get feedback from the public and hence reminding the founders to do better in other categories.
Video showing a dormitory that was built by 40 days over 40 smiles
The #5AsideUg event is happening on 11th June 2016 at the KCCA Grounds starting at 10 am till late. There will be a number of new activities for every person in the category they want.
The activities include a football tournament, Kwepena, Board games, Kids games which means that this year even children have games which they will enjoy.
There will also be lots of entertainment with video mixing from different Djs…… so it will be a wonderful day to spend time helping the needy.
The #5AsideUg hashtag is trending on twitter and this should give those who have not yet decided to attend some hype.
If we all do good even by just attending an event then why not try it this Saturday
Benjamin Rukwengye a director at 40 days over 40 smiles calls on to all people do something in helping the children of Uganda.
Patricia Kigula a Volunteer at 40 days over 40 smiles also calls on the public to come to the event.
