The plight of the refugees living in the Nakivale and Oruchinga settlements in southern Uganda and the urgent need for humanitarian aid are central to this fifth episode of the Barça Foundation podcast, which features Mexican actor and UNHCR/ACNUR Goodwill Ambassador, Alfonso Herrera, and Barça Foundation Director General, Dr Marta Segú. Herrera visited the region with teams from the Foundation and UNHCR/ACNUR as part of the collaboration agreement signed between the two organisations in 2022.

The new communication channel, available on Spotify y YouTube takes listeners inside the Foundation’s social impact initiatives through the experiences and testimonies of people with close links to FC Barcelona, including players from its various professional teams, Barça Legends, club officials and notable personalities.

Uganda hosts Africa’s largest refugee population, giving shelter to over 1.8 million people who have been forced to flee their homes. Now more than ever, countries like Uganda that are receiving refugees need urgent support, to be able to continue generously host those escaping conflict and persecution.

The joint Barça Foundation and UNHCR/ACNUR project in Uganda specifically supports young refugees and host communities. To date, more than 8,400 young people have benefitted from this socio-educational and sports program, which provides safe spaces to play and learn.

Speaking during the podcast, Alfonso Herrera said, “I’m amazed at the power of the Foundation’s SportNet methodology to transform the lives of children and young people, teaching conflict resolution, mutual respect, teamwork for shared success and, above all, showing how these lessons apply, not only on the field, but also at home, at school, in their communities and with friends. The work being done by the Barça Foundation to improve the lives of thousands of children worldwide is fantastic.” He then added, “Barça isn’t just a sports club - football, handball, basketball – it’s something more. Because of everything the Foundation does, because of that I now understand why Barça is more than a club."

Herrera met some newly arrived refugees, sharing, “There are people arriving in Uganda every day. Many are malnourished, ill and traumatised by the horrors of war. Most are women and children. UNHCR provides life-saving support - food, water, shelter - to help families survive and begin to recover. This is just one example of the critical work the UNHCR is doing but, as global humanitarian funding comes under threat, urgent support is needed to ensure this vital work can continue.”

Sport as a Beacon of Hope

Barça Foundation Director General, Dr. Marta Segú, commented, “We visited the refugee camps following two years of working alongside UNHCR to implement our joint program in Uganda and we saw the positive impact of sport as a tool for improving young lives. I’d also like to highlight how powerful sport can be for improving the wellbeing of young girls as well, helping to reduce the number of teen pregnancies and child marriages. Sport is a magical tool, both in the moment and even more so with a view to the future.” 

UNHCR/ACNUR Alliance

The Uganda project forms part of a wider agreement between UNHCR/ACNUR, its national association in Spain (ACNUR comité español), FC Barcelona and the FC Barcelona Foundation. Launched in 2022, the collaboration helps drive socio-educational and sport-based initiatives for refugee children and young people on four continents, including in the countries of Uganda, El Salvador, Türkiye and Malaysia.

The alliance between UNHCR/ACNUR and FC Barcelona, showcased by the humanitarian organisation’s logo on the back of the shirts of the men’s and women’s first-team football squads, also aims to raise awareness among football fans worldwide and inspire the global sports community to support those who have been forcibly displaced.

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