The 2025 T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD Annual Chess Championship wrapped up on Friday, January 31, on the Sports activities Outreach Ministries (SOM) facility in Kiwawu, Mityana.
The occasion, which started on January 29, noticed over 150 faculty youngsters from throughout Uganda competing for a chance to safe faculty charges for the 2025 tutorial yr.
The match was divided into Main and Secondary classes, with each girls and boys from every class vying for the highest spots.
Secondary part.
This yr’s championship was not nearly chess but in addition about creating alternatives for schooling.
The winners in every class acquired full scholarships, which might cowl their faculty charges for your complete yr, due to the beneficiant assist of SOM and Karl Reese, the founding father of T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD.
The occasion’s closing ceremony was marked by heartfelt speeches, acknowledgments, and moments of reflection.
A Imaginative and prescient Realized: Karl Reese’s Dedication
The match’s origins will be traced again to 2023 when Karl Reese first conceived the thought.
Along with his dedication and imaginative and prescient, the occasion took form in 2024, and in 2025, it got here to fruition.
Reese, {an electrical} engineer and the Director of T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD, traveled from the USA to attend the occasion, demonstrating his private dedication to uplifting the youngsters in Uganda by way of each chess and schooling.
Coach Katende, the SOM Undertaking Director, expressed his gratitude towards Reese throughout the closing ceremony:
“I need to thank Karl Reese for the assist. He’s the one who got here up with this concept, and now we’re in our third yr, aiming to offer faculty charges and scholastic supplies for these youngsters forward of the brand new faculty yr.”
Reese additionally shared his imaginative and prescient for the youngsters, emphasizing the transformative energy of schooling.
“You have been all a imaginative and prescient to me 10 years again,” he stated, expressing how proud he was to see the progress the youngsters had made.
He shared inspiring phrases, noting that many previous winners, together with T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD’s Vice President John Ssemuyaba and neurosurgery scholar Benjamin, had come from comparable backgrounds and had reworked their lives by way of schooling.
The Champions: A Yr of College Charges Awaits
The winners of the 2025 T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD Annual Chess Championship weren’t solely celebrated for his or her prowess on the chessboard but in addition for his or her willpower and self-discipline.
Most Disciplined Gamers:
Ladies: Nakayembe Christine (Kiboga)
Boys: Jawuya Rodgers (Hoima)
Each Nakayembe and Jawuya have been acknowledged for his or her exemplary conduct all through the competitors and acquired a ream of papers to assist their schooling.
Main Class Winners:
Ladies:
- Abba Prisca (Gulu)
- Kirabo Angle (Katwe)
- Nakanda Esther (Kiboga)
Boys:
- Ssenono Shaban
- Kasirivu David
- Ssenabulya Collins
Secondary Class Winners:
Ladies:
- Patricia Kawuma
- Nabirye Caroline
- Nabagala Vanessa
Boys:
- Shafik Muhebwa
- Ntume Ivan
- Twebaze Solomon
Defending Champions Shine
Patricia Kawuma and Shafick Muhebwa each efficiently defended their titles from the earlier yr, persevering with to showcase their excellence in chess and incomes a full yr of faculty charges.
Patricia Kawuma considering on board.
After his victory, Shafick Muhebwa shared his journey to success. “I misplaced out within the Nationwide Juniors, however I went again residence, mirrored on my victory, and thought in regards to the liberty I had whereas at college with all my charges paid,” he stated.
“I informed myself that I needed to defend this title and safe this privilege as soon as once more, and now I’m completely happy I did it.”
For Muhebwa, successful wasn’t simply in regards to the trophy; it was in regards to the alternative to proceed his schooling.
His story serves as an inspiration to the opposite members, exhibiting that setbacks will be reworked into comebacks.
A Way forward for Hope and Alternative
Past the joy of the competitors, the 2025 T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD Annual Chess Championship was a robust reminder of the impression of schooling.
By means of the game of chess, these younger college students should not solely studying strategic considering and problem-solving expertise however are additionally having access to alternatives that may form their futures.
The occasion served as a platform to have a good time the resilience, self-discipline, and potential of Uganda’s youth.
The closing ceremony additionally included private reflections from the youngsters, together with Jalia Najjingo, a differently-abled participant who shared her expertise.
“After I got here from my former faculty, I discovered chess with the assistance of Coach Resty,” she stated. “The opposite youngsters have been powerful, however I stored pushing myself, and this expertise has meant a lot to me.”
Because the chess items have been put away for one more yr, the gamers and their households left the occasion with renewed hope for the long run, empowered by the data that the T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD initiative is greater than only a match—it’s a pathway to a brighter tomorrow.
With the continued assist of Karl Reese and the devoted staff at T.E.C.H FOR THE WORLD, many extra youngsters can have the prospect to study, develop, and obtain their desires, one transfer at a time.
