A Piece of the Life Changing Puzzle

By: Alex Oleck

A week ago tonight, Jeff and I arrived in Uganda. Anticipation and excitement were high but we had no idea what to expect. What I came to find in the week to follow can only be described, for me, as a great dichotomy between devastation and beauty. This gorgeous sun drenched country is also blanketed by poverty the likes of which I've never experienced. Children barefoot in torn up clothes, dormitories with no shelves because the  children possess nothing to put on them, wooden shanties for stores and homes, and the smell of burning trash and diesel permeating the air. Yet despite these conditions that most would deem inconceivable, you will find an almost tangible beauty that resides in the hearts, words, and smiles of the Ugandan people. Never have I been welcomed so graciously and so warmly as I was when entering the lives of the people of this great organization.

Over the coming days I was not just received by the Fields of Dreams Uganda family, I was embraced wholeheartedly. Within a day Jeff was proclaimed Uncle Jeff and I, Auntie Alex. I spent the week watching soccer, which is admittedly not my favorite thing even though I'm married to a coach. However, this week that all changed for me. Soccer became much more than a game but rather a unifying force that brought not only a community together but became a common ground on which Jeff and I could relate and get involved. These children play with incredible intensity and they are committed with everything they have because for most of them it is literally all that they have. I have never witnessed joy like seeing the U20 team come out victorious in their semifinal win after an intense and nerve wracking shoot out. Mike Warneke, executive director of FoDU, said it well when we were discussing the match that evening. He said "so often in our lives we encounter happiness but it is rare when we encounter joy. " And that is what it was at it's purest and most simple form. I'd surely bottle it up if I could.

The soccer was fantastic and yet it is just a piece of the life changing puzzle that is FoDU. Through education advocacy, opportunity for connection, dream building, and emphasis on the person inside of the player, FoDU's goal is to create men of integrity and women of substance. The children of this program led beautifully by the Youth Council, a selected group of older children who focus on leadership, are becoming and in many cases have already become the very best of what we could hope for in a person. They show courage in the face of great odds, they are cooperative and supportive of one another on and off the field, they are serious when it's required and lighthearted when it's needed. They are charismatic in victory and gracious in defeat.

Alex and Jeff with Eddy and Manisul, members of the Youth Council

Queenie and Alex

In just one week, the children, staff, and families of FoDU have bulldozed their way into my heart and life will never be the same.

Today before we departed we had the opportunity to share a Christmas celebration with the Ugandan FoDU staff and the Youth Council. Before enjoying a meal together everyone in attendance shared what they were most grateful for in 2015. From funds for schooling to make education even an option, to first job opportunities to curb the fear of hunger, from hygiene kits to aid in school attendance, from chickens that were gifted by the organization to provide the opportunity for entrepreneurship, to integrity training to build character, it is completely evident that FoDU is not only saving lives but they are making these lives worth living. FoDU set a spark of hope ablaze in the hearts and minds of these children and I will standby with privilege and pride as we watch that spark, one day, engulf a nation.

Through the Eyes of a Fan

By: Jeff Oleck

Alex and Jeff Oleck

Being a spectator at a soccer match does not come easy for me. As an Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, my attendance at a tournament usually means I am on the sideline evaluating players, taking notes, and interacting with coaches to ask the questions of, "is he committed yet" or "what graduation year is he?".  It is often a lengthy process to identify the player who will be the perfect "fit" for our soccer program.  However, during my week in Wakiso, Uganda I have been able to take off my coaching hat and simply enjoy the sport while admiring those who play it with such great joy and passion. 

The Fields of Dreams Uganda Hope Cup is a one of a kind event.  This tournament brings together teams from Masaka, Kampala, Jinja, and Gulu. It bonds cultures, tribes, and cements the idea that people have more in common than they have differences.  The players who participate have every reason in the world to not be on the pitch.  Most have endured tremendous hardships, persevered through poverty and lack of basic needs, or dealt the loss of a parent, or in some cases, both parents.  Yet, when walking up to the field on the first day of games you would have no idea that these players are any different. They are just kids playing the game they love.

I have been on the Fields of Dreams Uganda board of directors for just over a year now, yet my involvement with FoDU started in 2012 when I was an Associate Head Coach at Valparaiso University.  My knowledge and familiarity with our organization has grown tremendously over the past three years, but no conversation, Facebook post, or video could have opened my eyes to the work being done in Uganda like being here in person.  I have been overwhelmed while witnessing the positive changes that are occurring not only on the physical structures of our partner school campuses, but more importantly within the minds and hearts of the thousands of kids we support.  There is nowhere that these changes are more evident than on the soccer field.  Their character, integrity, grit, and determination has shone throughout the five days of games.  They have shown humility in victory and been gracious in defeat.  As teammates they have challenged each other to set a standard of excellence and held each other accountable to that goal.

FoDU Teams from Gulu and Kampala celebrating together

One of my fondest memories of the tournament occurred on Saturday when the FoDU North (Gulu) u20 Boys Team won a match in the groups stage of play.  This team and these players have endured decades of civil war and all the fallout that occurs within communities during such a conflict. They have lost family members, friends, and loved ones. Some of them have been displaced from their villages or relocated to areas where the conflict is less.  Often times, the cultures from the north seem very distant and removed from those in and around the central Kampala region, but the Hope Cup brought these young men and women into a safe and competitive environment where their skills and dreams could endure.  And not only did they endure, they thrived.  Upon the final whistle of the group play match, the FoDU central men's team rushed the field to join hands with their brothers and celebrate a special moment in time with them.  In one display of camaraderie and solidarity, barriers were broken down and everyone on the field was simply there for the love of the game.

I take great pride in seeing the game of soccer break down barriers and speak to people across cultures in one universal language.  I am so lucky to have been a part of this Hope Cup, to witness the tireless work of our FoDU staff coaches, administrators, and teachers who support and reinforce these kids' dreams every day.  There is no greater reward as a coach than seeing the actions of my players impact the game and the world in a positive way, so I cannot imagine the joy that our staff must feel when they have watched their teams play this week.  These players are overflowing with passion and purpose, but most importantly they are filled with hope.

Uganda--Twelve Years Apart

By: Keith Jenkins

After finding out about Fields of Dreams in September 2015 when the time for travel to Uganda finally came I really didn’t know what to expect. I’m so happy that I’ve made it and the experience is more than I could have possibly imagined.

Having said the above I was in Uganda in 2003 and have always wondered what might have changed in the 12 years since then. The opportunity to see Kampala again and now Wakiso district has been wonderful.

Mike Warneke has really inspired me and it his drive and passion that is central to Fields of Dreams. Although it is the amazing Uganda staff who facilitate the smooth running and the further reaching out of this fantastic organization.

Keith with members of the Youth Council

Furthermore, a group of incredible young Ugandans are truly a credit to their country and their communities. It is the Fields of Dreams “Youth Council” who have made the Hope Cup happen in 2015 and I feel so proud to have met them and to be a small part of this event.

To see the happiness on all the children’s faces playing soccer (football as I am a European) has been a joy to behold. The whole tournament has been played in a competitive yet friendly spirit throughout U12, U14, U16 and U20. From seeing so many children at the ground on the first day, having arrived a bit later than expected, to the dramatic penalty shoot-out victory for Fields of Dreams U20 Central Region leading to rapturous, emotional celebrations the whole tournament has been awe-inspiring.

Goalkeeper Training

In between the busy schedule of matches there was opportunity for some fabulous training with Coach Jean from Queen’s Park Rangers Ladies and also Jeff Oleck, a member of the December team, gave some great goal-keeping training. This training was at Wakiso Children’s School of Hope and it was wonderful to see the difference that Fields of Dreams has made and will continue to make to individual schools like New Kabaale Busega, and St. Kazito Primary School.

Beyond the football the ethos of Fields of Dreams is to build community and further, “Men of Integrity” and “Women of Substance” and I will never forget the many I met in Uganda in December 2015.

The rallying call of the U20s will also always stay with me, “I train, to encourage and inspire others. I train, because I have a purpose on this earth. I train, to make the world a better place. I train, to bring my dreams within reach. I train, to be successful in life. I train, because I am a champion!”

Thank you to Fields of Dreams Uganda and the wonderful young people who work with you.

“Never give up hope, always follow your dreams and make those dreams big”.

Keith Jenkins