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At Enabel, our passion for enabling
change does not end when the workday ends. It’s coming to a year since the "after-work
exercise" program was born at our Rwenzori office in Fort Portal. Emmanuel
Muhumuza, the Intervention Officer, Skills Development Fund spearheaded the
initiative which has brilliantly shaped the team’s fitness endeavors and supported
building networks with other corporate teams to whom we have had the absolute pleasure
of proving both fit and fierce.
Every Thursday evening, the
atmosphere is charged with colour and good vibes as the team gathers for a friendly
football match. Wednesdays are reserved for aerobics and volleyball, which is
Martin Okoed’s favorite. The Nursing School Pedagogy Field Officer is happy to
have been reintroduced to the game after school where junior students were mostly
restricted, making him lose interest in playing. “Glad I can now play,” says a
cheery Okoed.
The goal isn't just to win
the game but to relieve the strains of office work as Nicholas Basaija, a fitness
and dance instructor who has been training the Enabel team for five months
emphasizes. "Many people in offices deal with back and nerve issues due to
sitting for long hours. Aerobics sessions help stretch the muscles, improve
nerve function and act as a great stress reliever," he explains.
For Helen Mbabazi,
Enterprise Development and Decent Jobs Officer, who recently joined Enabel, the
games have helped her settle in. "I've been here three months, playing and
cheering at these games has helped me get to know people faster. It’s easier to
connect with colleagues on the court than behind computers or in meetings. I
now feel more comfortable walking up to my teammates and calling them by name
because that is what we do on court," she shares.
The impact of the after-work
exercise stretches beyond the Enabel team. Bright Beyongyera, a student at
Fins Medical University, was drawn to Enabel after hearing about our
involvement in the community. He shared a touching story of how he got to come
for the game that day, He had learnt of Enabel’s skilling program the previous
night from a caretaker whose girl was a beneficiary, "I coincidentally
read about the volleyball match with Enabel in a WhatsApp group and decided to
see for myself what this group was all about," says Beyongyera.
Beyond bonding, Helen also
highlights the mental health benefits of engaging in sports. "When you
step away from the computer and play, you release stress. By the time I get
home, I’m less stressed, and that benefits both my work and my family life.
It’s important for more people to be involved in these kinds of activities to
maintain a healthy work-life balance."
The team has come to know
each other better and now work more closely. "Previously, we worked in
silos, but now we are working as one Enabel," says Muhumuza. Seeing the
success of these internal activities, he decided to extend the invitation to external
partners. Every week or two, partners like Rotaract, students from Mountain of
the Moon University, Phaneroo and other teams are invited for football or
volleyball matches.
“During and after the games, we talk, collaborate, and
build a bond beyond work. Sometimes, solutions come up outside of work, and in
the future, we hope this can scale into interregional matches, perhaps a Busoga
region vs. Albertine Rwenzori game," envisions Muhumuza, who hopes that Enabel
can register for corporate league, for the competition, but to also boost the
team’s mental capacity and to grow our network.
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