A man in Uganda is offering homeless kids hope for a bright future. He not only teaches these budding acrobats basic gymnastic-style flips but also guides them to shun bad company and seek goodness to unlock their full potential. He dreams of launching these kids as professional Olympians one day and enriching their lives with the gift of education.
The lack of facilities doesn’t stop these aspiring acrobats. The young coach has proven to be endlessly resourceful and practical—making gym equipment out of car tires, sandbags, and old pieces of foam, and taking sessions wherever he can. One of those places is a local garbage dump.
“Many times, people watching our videos can’t believe we train at the dump and not in a proper gym," Eries told The Epoch Times. “But actually, it gives us softer landings, especially for the beginners; they can learn quickly there. It can’t cause a lot of damage or injury to the kids. The place may look disgusting to some, but it’s good.”
Kataka Arts currently has five men and one woman on the training team.
“Our kids are ready to do everything to reach that level of competing in the Olympics with other countries,” he said.
For now, though, the actions of this inspiring coach are already working miracles with these seriously disadvantaged, budding gymnasts. Several of the children learning to flip come from the streets; some are without parents; and most aren’t in good condition, one way or another. Their ages range from 6 to 15, and they’re all from Kampala.
Prior to 2020, Eries would show the street kids how to juggle. When the shows he'd scheduled were canceled during lockdowns, he found himself with nothing to do and began seriously training the kids.
Using TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube videos for inspiration and instruction, the group got to work. Often, they’ll train for five or six hours a day in their makeshift, open-air gym. All of them work hard and are stars, according to the proud coach.
“They really enjoy it and they are motivated. They really like it so much,” he said.
Though the kids do sometimes fall and get injuries, Eries credited them with being tough: “Our kids are strong.”
As some of the children are without a home or caregivers, Eries and his friends do what they can to provide a place to stay and give them lunch after training sessions. Since they receive no funding, they of course face cost challenges but do their best with what they have and with any donations they receive.
Eries said: “By teaching them, we help them acquire some skills; some mental and physical skills. And it helps keep them away from wrongdoings, from going out to collect scraps on roads, and falling in with bad peer groups and thugs. All that stuff.
“We counsel them, in many ways. We’re here to tell them not to do bad things, and encourage them to start going to school.
“This journey, it really means a lot to me. I’ve learned many things about how to handle kids, because some have different mentalities, and some have behavioral issues.”
In August this year, the team took part in the National Junior Championships, the first real gymnastics competition in Uganda. Seven clubs competed, and theirs took second place. The spectators, not having seen such impressive flips and tricks before, were amazed.
Eries’s big dream is to raise gymnastics in his country to the Olympic level. But before that, he said, his team still needs the essentials like a training facility and would like well-wishers and people to come forward to support them.
“Currently, our goal is to get the training facility,” he said. “We want to raise this sport in our country, and also to take it on another level.”
In the meantime, he’ll keep preparing the ground they train on with soft wood, so the kids at least have a gentler landing.
