Giants of Africa, a non-profit based by Dallas Mavericks Team President and Alternate Governor and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, Masai Ujiri, has constructed its 54th court docket in Jimara, The Gambia as a part of its Built Within initiative, a dedication to constructing 100 neighborhood basketball courts throughout Africa.
The mission was accomplished in partnership with Jaha Dukureh, the UN Member, Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jaapo Capital Company Ltd. The group reached a significant milestone earlier this 12 months because it opened its fiftieth neighborhood basketball court docket in Lagos, Nigeria.
This previous Saturday, on November 7, the court docket’s official opening ceremony was attended by Hon. Mod Okay Ceesay, Minister of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment, Samba Bah, Governor of the Upper River Region, and Julaba Drammeh, District Chief of Jimara.
Located in The Gambia’s Upper River Region, Jimara’s new court docket will function greater than a spot to play basketball: the positioning is envisioned as a hub for ladies from throughout the area, making a gathering house that fosters connection, mentorship, and alternative alongside sport.
The court docket’s design attracts inspiration from the baobab tree, a strong image of energy, knowledge, and togetherness in The Gambia. Traditionally a gathering place for storytelling and shared decision-making, the baobab serves as a becoming metaphor for the court docket itself: an area the place neighborhood, mentorship, and alternative come collectively.
Jaha Dukureh, a longtime supporter of Giants of Africa, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jaapo Capital Company Ltd, a Gambian holding firm investing in regenerative agriculture, well being innovation and neighborhood infrastructure. She can be the founding father of Safe Hands for Girls, a U.S.-registered nonprofit, and serves as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for Africa.
Over the previous a number of years, Jaha has turned her focus from advocacy to institution-building, with a transparent conviction that lasting change requires financial alternative created at dwelling. The new basketball court docket in Jimara is a part of that dedication. Developed in partnership with Giants of Africa, the FIBA-standard court docket was constructed by native fingers, with younger individuals from the district skilled and employed throughout building. It will host teaching, clinics and youth programming, and it belongs to the communities it serves.
On the opening, Jaha Dukureh says, “Many children in Jimara have never held a basketball, let alone had a court to play on. Today, through our partnership with Giants of Africa, we are changing that reality. This court represents far more than basketball. It represents hope, opportunity, and the beginning of a much larger vision to establish an educational and training hub where young people can learn, develop their talents, and dream beyond their circumstances. “I am deeply grateful to Masai Ujiri and the entire Giants of Africa team for believing in our community and bringing this vision to life.”
Masai Ujiri says, “Our first visit to The Gambia is truly special. Jaha, our dear friend, is building opportunities in Jimara, and we’re grateful to be part of her vision for this district. May the Jimara Hope court bring joy, unite this community, and open doors for young people, especially girls and women.”
Giants of Africa launched Built Within in September 2021, reflecting the group’s perception {that a} court docket can uplift a neighborhood, unite youth, and create alternative. Each court docket is developed in partnership with a novel neighborhood, formed by its personal tradition, hopes, and future ambitions.
Earlier this 12 months, Giants of Africa introduced Dribble for Peace, the newest part of Built Within, which expands this system into the continent’s Sahel area, specializing in communities going through ongoing battle, instability, and environmental decline.
Through Dribble for Peace, Giants of Africa builds on its current presence in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, whereas increasing into Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, South Sudan, and now The Gambia, for the primary time.
