For young Nakayenga, it’s ‘Time To Celebrate’
The celebration of a goal by cheerleaders is perfectly captured in the design of 13-year-old Nakayenga Zahara which is engraved on the back of an IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good Foundation’ (Ref. IW323909) timepiece of which part of the proceeds from sales will go to help children in crisis-hit areas of the world.
Nakaynga, from Uganda, was one of hundreds of children from Laureus-supported community projects worldwide who entered the annual competition to have their drawing selected for the engraving on the limited special edition watch.
The jury voted her design, which encapsulated the theme ‘Time to Celebrate’, as the winning entry and Laureus World Sports Academy Member Tegla Loroupe visited the town of Nakulabye to congratulate Nakayenga and tell her about her prize, which will be the cost of a year’s schooling for her, paid for by IWC.
Tegla, from Kenya, won the world championship for the half-marathon distance three times and was twice marathon world record holder. She was the first African woman to win the New York Marathon. She said:
“I am so pleased to be here today to meet Nakayenga and congratulate her and to meet everyone in this wonderful project where so much has been done for so many years to fight the evils of ill health among young people. I like it that some many young people from Laureus projects are coming together in this competition. The drawings that we see from all the children are so fresh and lively and are a joy to look at.”
Nakayenga grew up in the impoverished district of Nakulabye close to the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The area is severely affected by HIV/AIDS, and many of those infected are children. The Community Based AIDS Programme (COBAP) is located here and offers healthcare, rehabilitation and protection to people affected by HIV/AIDS.
These children, thanks to financing from the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, now have access to sports such as athletics, boxing, table tennis, volleyball and cycling. COBAP employees organize sports events and then use the half-time breaks to educate people about HIV/AIDS. Since the project’s inception, the rate of HIV infection has slowed and drug abuse amongst young people is steadily declining.
“The drawing by Nakayenga Zahara beautifully reflects the values that IWC stands for: passion, commitment, responsibility and performance. As a company that firmly believes in sustainable actions, we are proud to align ourselves with the meaningful and important work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation,” said Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.
IWC supports the Laureus programmes on a global level with the annual launch of a new limited-edition watch. The dial of each watch is presented in a special “Laureus” blue and the case is engraved with a drawing that is selected from entries to a competition in which young people from local Laureus projects take part. As with all previous editions, part of the proceeds from the sales of the watch is donated to Laureus.
Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses said: “Our relationship with our Global Partner IWC Schaffhausen stretches back more than ten years. The funds from the sale of this watch will go directly towards supporting our Laureus projects and this gives children hope and dreams. Using sport for social change clearly works, and I would like to thank IWC for its valuable support.”
