Isaiah Mwesige, the founder of Uganda’s AFRIYEA Golf Academy, was invited to attend Royal Troon Golf Club for the 152nd Open Championship as an advocate of sustainability in golf.
The Academy has gained international recognition for its approach to education in East Africa, specifically around golf and sustainability, resulting in Isaiah featuring on Sky during the live coverage on Saturday.
“Golf and sustainability go hand in hand at AFRIYEA,” explains Isaiah. “We ensure that conservation is part of the culture here, and I truly believe that every golfer and every golf club should take the same approach. As well as educating our young golfers about sustainable practices, we also run projects that the community can get involved in such as tree planting and clean-up operations. These benefit everyone.”
Speaking to Sky presenters Josh Antmann and Henni Koyack, Isaiah explained how investing in grassroots golf sustainability initiatives has brought the community closer together and has made golf more accessible for youngsters in the region. This in turn enables the coaches to deliver essential education and life skills to children who otherwise would miss out this essential learning.
In acknowledgement of the significant impact that AFRIYEA has on people in Uganda the Academy has recently become the golf development partner of the Ugandan Golf Federation. This positions AFRIYEA at the heart of the sport in the region, but in order to continue its community work the Academy requires outside investment.
“We want people and businesses to partner with us and invest in the children we teach,” explains Isaiah. “We have no outside funding and rely on volunteers. As little as £10 can help a kid in the academy to learn golf, gain life skills and learn about sustainability. Our donations are administrated by an incredible UK based charity called AFRINSPIRE which supports African-led initiatives in development and poverty reduction in East Africa.”
To partner with AFRIYEA and support a young person in Ugandan, visit https://afriyeagolfacademy.com/donate/ for details.