a tool to help refugee children combat psychological trauma
Background
Mayele Josh was a volunteer on our 2020 Uganda project. A refugee himself, he was able to share his knowledge and understanding with the rest of the volunteer team and give us insight into the context the children and young people were facing. Later that year, whilst navigating the loss of his father, a global pandemic and mental health challenges, he used determination, strength and resilience to turn his pain into something that could help others. He is the founder of Raise Chess Academy that sees 200+ young people attend each week to learn new skills and have a positive outlet. Here is his story.
Inspiration
In 2020, I lost my dad. This was the worst unexpected tragedy that has ever happened to me and my family. I faced a lot of mental health problems during this period where i couldn’t believe what has just happened to me and my family. Having passed through a lot as a refugee myself this made it a lot worse. Unlikely enough to combat this, I was lucky that I had learned how to play chess and by play chess during that time it helped me combat the mental health problems, it helped me reduce the stress that I was passing through as a young man. I later realized that; I said to myself
“I am a refugee and many children are facing and still passing through all the challenges I have passed through and chess could help them as well, I have to do something about it”.
From there I started to help children learn how to play chess so that they could combat Psychological trauma, I coached few children including my siblings who needed it most at that time and it worked children loved it. And therefore, RAISE CHESS ACADEMY was born with a mission to use chess as a tool to help refugee children combat psychological trauma. We later introduced soccer activities to our programs to further support the children with our mission.
At RCA children are not only playing chess but also gaining educational support, leadership support and also making sure there is equality and inclusiveness. We are looking at children from the project or academy having the opportunity to play, have fun and also access inclusive and equal access to quality education as well. With a combination of chess, soccer and team building games bring smiles on the faces of the children is a great thing. Previously I had volunteered with WORLD AT PLAY 2020 Uganda project and other NGOS where I learned a lot of things on leadership, especially at WORLD AT PLAY where I learned how to deal with children and also learned many games that we play with the children in Nakivale refugee settlement.
The coaches use the knowledge learnt at World at Play to connect with children and create a sense of community.
Leaders of tomorrow
At RCA we are not necessary looking at developing best chess or soccer players but we are looking at them becoming or developing into better human beings, leaders of tomorrow who will stand up and lead the rest when we shall not be there and also them reaching or achieve their goals and education hopes. We hope that in the future children from the academy will be able to receive scholarships to attend formal schools so they can continue their education.
The academy also gives the children the opportunity to make long lasting friendships and connections.
With our education program children are able to learn how to read, write and also speak English which helps them to adopt to the English learning system since most of the children are from non-English speaking countries.
Most of the children we support are orphans without parents or without one parent, to these children RCA becomes a family to them where they get a sense of belonging and a feeling of being loved and cared for.
The project restores their hope of a better tomorrow which had been lost due to the difficulties they have faced.
Children are gain skills they would not otherwise have access to through RCA. Chess is more than a game, it is giving these children the power of education.
reducing isolation and raising aspirations
If the project did not exist many children and youths would still be suffering from mental health challenges, children would turn into gangs, robbers and also start bad behaviors like smoking, baggers among others.
For many children access to education would still be very difficult and many would remain illiterate who don’t know how to read, speak and write any language.
Girls, women and the disabled or people with disabilities who still feel isolated in sports since chess is a sport that includes all.
We are looking at the RCA Refugee youth center as not just a playing or learning center but a center for opportunities, hope and transformation for many refugee children for generations to come.
Julienne Ndagano one of our students always says she like RCA because girls are given the opportunity to learn and play chess. She wants to be a queen of chess in the future and also become a doctor.
World at Play is a proud funder of Raise Chess Academy. If you would like to support this project you can donate here