“One way of positively impacting the youth is through sports because they draw people together. Whether it is members of a team, or fans rooting for a certain team, sports have always bonded people of different backgrounds together ,” Ashaba noted.
Youth in Mitooma represent a subset of young men and women at risk for poverty in high prevalence settings. Ashaba Gift Aarnold, hopeful LC V Youth Councillor for Mitooma district, believes that innovative programs such as sports are needed to raise awareness on the unique issues around poverty eradication among the youth, while training youths leaders for peer-based entrepreneurship.
According to Ashaba, Sports are an event that bring together youths in large numbers which makes it easy for one to disseminate awareness message and sensitization as well.
“One way of positively impacting the youth is through sports because they draw people together. Whether it is members of a team, or fans rooting for a certain team, sports have always bonded people of different backgrounds together ,” Ashaba noted.
Speaking to parrotsug during a one on one interview at his home in Mitooma Town Council, Ashaba revealed his plans to use sports approach to agitate for youth empowerment and inclusion in socioeconomic and political spheres in the district.
There’s a negative mental perception in the members of the public concerning professional sports. Mist people look at sports as an idle activity, waste of time.
However, Ashaba said that some people do not appropriately use sports. He stressed that through sports, the youth can explore their talents, form associations for both sports and economic development activities.
Citing out youth issues such as school dropouts, unemployment, idleness and early marriages which are on rampage in the district, Ashaba elucidated that Sports participations like football, volley ball etceteras are the basic tools of empowering the youth to harness and realise their potentials in transforming their livelihoods.
Furthermore, he suggests the use of Music Dance and Drama to end the stigma against Persons with Special needs (PWDs) in society.
Ashaba said that Sports and Drama events help in soliciting funds to support Youth and PWDs groups who constitute the marginalised groups in the district and calling for equal opportunities children disregard to their body make ups.
Asked how he would make this possible when elected into service, Ashaba was quick to cite out informal education and other life skills programmes such as Carpentry, Tailoring, Savings and Credit Groups, Poultry keeping as major projects he hopes would transform the lives of the youth in Mitooma district.
He added that the peer to peer youth project in schools, community will help Children and Youth exchange developmental ideas in their respective communities.
“The Sports and Drama approach engages experts, youth and encourages community dialogs about HIV and AIDS and youth empowerment,” Ashaba said.
Who is Ashaba.
Gift Aarnold Ashaba alias Magz isdistrict a Frontrunner in the Mitooma district LC V Youth Councillor on the NRM Ticket.
Today, he serves as the incumbent Youth Vice Chairman Mitooma Town Council and doubles as the Ward 4 Youth Chairman, the positions he holds since 2016.
Reknown for his long Sports nose, Ashaba is the founder of the Vipers Volleyball club, a sports team aiming at promoting volley ball in Mitooma district. For half a decade, he has been conducting a Volleyball tournament in the areas mostly bringing together teenagers from across the district.
Due to his high sports calibres, he was elected on different sports committees both at the district and lower levels.
Through his Vipers Volleyball club initiative, he succeeded in making the district volleyball team qualify for National Under 12 Primary Ball games as a coach, competitions which were held in Iganga district in 2019. Here, the team became the second Nationwide and was set to travel to Mombasa this year for East African Under 12 Ball games but were later stopped by corona virus precedents.
Born on September 29th, 1996, in Rubayaaya Ward 4, Mitooma Town council, Mitooma district, 24yers-old Ashaba holds a Diplomas in Computer, Radio & TV production of Aptech University Kampala.
He attended Mitooma Junior School for his primary education, whereafter he joined kyamuhunga SSS kitagata SSS for O & A’level respectively.
He currently was awarded an education scholarship by the district administration through sports.
