We were approached through Facebook by a man from the Divine Chess Academe in Uganda. I had not heard of him or this program before, so I contacted Robert Katende to check him out.

Robert was well known, one of his student’s was the basis for the movie “Queen of Katwe.” He and I had worked together during one of the World Championships for junior players with disabilities. He gave me the go ahead to work with Hannington Ssenfuka and we did. Hannington was teaching chess to orphans in Kampala, but they had been drawing there
one chess boards and making their own pieces. We were happy to send chess equipment and instructional material to them so that could feel like a real chess club. Hannington has been teaching them ever since. He told me once that, “When they start playing chess, they stop crying.” That is why we do what we do.