The inception and development of AFRIYEA Golf Academy reflects its CEO and founder’s own life experiences very closely.
Isaiah Mwesige struggled to complete his basic education, having been orphaned aged only twelve and being brought up by his brother Eugene, there was very little money available to support the most basic of needs. Having been convinced by a close friend that he could earn money finding lost balls at the Toro
Golf Club in Fort Portal, Western Uganda, and selling them back to the members, he received his first introduction to the great game of golf.
However, even this enterprise entailed a fourteen kilometre round trip on foot, although it did mean that there was now some money available for food and school fees. Isaiah then progressed to caddying
for members at Toro Golf Club and as he began to show an aptitude for playing golf he was moved into the Artisan ranks at the club which – through individual sponsorship – allowed him to play on the course for free at certain times.

Members and the executive committee at the club recognized Isaiah’s abilities and competence by appointing him Head of Artisans which introduced new responsibilities such as organizing the juniors,
allocating course maintenance tasks and tree planting. Having excelled in this position the Club decided to help Isaiah achieve a Bachelor’s Degree in Science of Agriculture, and later with further qualifications and skills from Chonbuk National University (South Korea) and the University Salford (UK).
As a result of the confidence he attained from the Toro Golf Club’s investment in him, twenty years after Isaiah had started collecting lost balls on the course, he founded the AFRIYEA Golf Academy, set up with the specific intention of assisting other underprivileged youths and children in his home city of Fort Portal. However, Isaiah was firmly of the opinion that the Academy shouldn’t only introduce to and provide coaching for these youngsters in golf, but that it should offer a more rounded and holistic approach to
the problems faced by the students in terms of continued education, life skills and an appreciation of the environment. In a space of three years the AFRIYEA Golf Academy the academy has introduced golf to over 1000 children from 21 schools in Uganda have not only gained golf skills but also social skills and environmental knowledge.
Story compiled by; Jonathan Cooke