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"It was an opportunity to give back to my fellow refugees that came to Uganda and faced the same obstacles that I was facing. It's what pushes me to work harder and harder every day." — Jules, Program Coordinator, SWB Uganda
After fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jules arrived in Uganda as a refugee where he soon joined Soccer Without Borders as a participant. Now 8 years later, Jules works as a full-time Program Coordinator at SWB where he wears many hats and serves as a coach, teacher, and mentor for our current players.
In his work on the pitch and in the classroom, Jules draws from his own experiences as a program alumnus in order to build a community among his players and support them navigating many of the same challenges that he too encountered when arriving to Uganda in 2011. “Playing football gave me the opportunity to meet new people. I got a chance to learn from them and build my personal confidence and also my English. I had people that I could talk to. You could talk what you’re feeling to your friends, you could laugh, you could tell each other stories. I felt home again.”
At SWB, we are focused on providing leadership development opportunities for SWB participants as well as creating pipelines to employment for program graduates. To hear more about Jules’ story and experience mentoring the next generation of SWB youth, watch the full #storiesfromthefield Feature produced by our partners at Common Goal.