Journalist uses sport to empower vulnerable communities in Uganda

Ritah Aliguma continues to break barriers as an entrepreneur and sports journalist in Uganda. She serves as the CEO of the Aluguma Foundation, a non-profit organization that empowers women, girls, and children through sport and education. With operations in Acholi Quarters, one of the largest slum settlements for displaced Acholi people in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, the foundation uses sport to engage communities in civic participation and anti-violence initiatives. Ritah played a central role in organizing a visit from Aleksander Ceferin, the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), which garnered international publicity for the foundation.

Ritah was also instrumental in organizing the foundation’s annual soccer tournament which provided the Acholi people opportunities to connect through sport. The event also spotlighted the foundation’s diligent work to build a permanent soccer pitch in the settlement. In addition to the NGO, Ritah has made a significant impact through her work as a sports journalist in Uganda, paving the way for other women to pursue careers in the sport sector. Her trailblazing efforts have not gone unnoticed; in 2016 she became the first Ugandan executive member of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Africa.

As Ritah’s multifaceted professional goals have transformed with increasing publicity and entrepreneurial opportunities, her mission remains the same: to use sport to empower girls from vulnerable communities in Uganda to live in freedom, safety, and strength. At the GSMP, Ritah hopes to sharpen her strategic and conceptual writing skills and further develop her financial and business management techniques.

Ritah will be mentored by Taryn Hutt, Vice President, Club Marketing, National Football League (NFL) and Megan Bell, Vice President, Business Intelligence & Ticketing, Los Angeles Chargers.