Giants of Africa working to instill virtues in African youth

By Belinda Ayamgha    

Accra, Aug. 28, GNA - Giants of Africa, an organisation founded by Masai Ujiri, President of the Toronto Raptors, is instilling virtues in the youth across Africa though its basketball programmes.

The programme, through its camps, aims to educate and enrich the lives of the African youth through basketball. It places emphasis, not just on basketball, but on hard work, accountability, honest living and positivity.

Mr Kweku Esia Kuma Essien, Business Development Advisor at Giants of Africa, speaking at a screening of a documentary on the work and impact of Giants of Africa on the continent, said the aim of the camps was not to get all the youth into the NBA, but to teach them about team work and determination that sports builds.

“It’s not about doing anything really big, it’s about planting the seeds in these kids that allows them to do bigger and better things than Masai,” he said, adding that, although one of the kids could become an NBA star, the aim was to imbue the kids with virtues, including leadership, and also allow them to be able to access education or gain something else from what they learn at the camps.

He stressed that sports could be a means, not only to instil virtues but also to transform lives, adding that, there were currently, a lot of NBA players from Africa whose lives had all been transformed through sports.

“It is something that should be understood and nurtured. Not everyone is a Doctor, not everyone is an engineer; some people are just really good at sports so it’s just down to parents seeing that, and nurturing it,” he stated.

Ms Heather Cameron, Canadian High Commissioner to the Ghana, who hosted the screening of the documentary at her residence in Accra, commenting on the perception by most African parents of sports as a distraction to their children’s education, said Canada held a different view of sports.

She noted that the Canadian government rather had in place programmes to actively encourage children to participate in sports as it taught them various values, including learning to overcome defeat and carry on.

“I think there’s lots of good things that we can learn from sports, plus it’s a lot of fun and it’s important that children have some fun times as well,” she said.

Ms. Cameron said Canada was celebrating its 150th anniversary and 60th anniversary of bilateral relations with Ghana and as part of the celebrations, the High Commission was highlighting the importance of youth leadership.

“I see the screening as an opportunity to showcase some of the works that Canadians and others are doing to develop youth potential in Ghana.

“What stood out for me was just the transformational effect. Sports always teaches teamwork, discipline, develops new talent and builds confidence and I just love being able to see how all of the different recruits in the programme went from strength to strength,” she noted.

The Documentary, produced by Maple Leaf Sports, owners of the Toronto Raptors and shot by award winning Canadian documentarian Hubert Davis, follows Masai Ujiri through Giants of Africa camps in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda.

It profiles campers including Sodiq Awogbemi from Nigeria, who survived attacks by Boko Haram militants on his hometown of Maiduguri. Also featured in the movie is Ghanaian Peter Amegbor, who shared some of the lessons he learned from the camp at the screening in Accra.

Amegbor said his participation in the Giants of Africa programme had unearthed and nurtured his leadership abilities, as he found himself leading his colleagues, who were taller than him.

“A great leader is a great servant. If you are to lead people, you’re not there to impose laws on them but to serve them in a positive way, for their benefit” he said, adding that, he also learnt not to be ashamed of his background as life was not always fair.

He also stressed the importance of helping those round him who had less. “Let’s help those around us because they might have a unique talent that you will not know till you reached them”.

He thanked Giants of Africa for the opportunity to participate in the camp.

GNA

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