TORONTO, January 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – On the occasion of his 20the anniversary, giants of Africaa non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of young Africans through sports, and its co-founder Masai Ujiri, vice president and president of the Toronto Raptors, today announced global events that will take place throughout the year to celebrate.
2023 marks 20 years of giants of Africa traveling the African continent conducting basketball camps for boys and girls, building courts and facilitating youth outreach initiatives.
Video of the 20th anniversary of the African Giants
“It has been humbling to reach such an incredible milestone and there is much to be proud of as you reflect on the past two decades. 20 years of service have only been made possible by the passion and commitment of every person and community that has come. together to make Giants of Africa what it is today,” said Masai Ujiri, Giants of Africa co-founder and vice president and president of the Toronto Raptors. “We’re really just getting started. There’s an understanding that we need to move on and a desire to learn from our journey so we can continue to help more. We’re excited about the bright future as Giants of Africa continues to build infrastructure and inspire African youth around the world with programs focused on education, empowerment and leadership, both on and off the pitch.”
20 years of impact.
Since 2003, Giants of Africa has positively impacted more than 40,000 African youth in 17 countries through access to more than 30 basketball courts and 80 basketball camps or clinics. Twenty-six of the total courts have been made possible by ‘Built Within’, the foundation’s multi-year 100-court commitment to invest in sports infrastructure around the world. Africareleased in 2021.
Since its inception, outreach initiatives in at-risk communities and refugee camps have been at the heart of Giant of from Africa purpose. In 2021, the foundation inaugurated a new basketball court and sports complex for the Samburu Girls Foundation.
Led by the founder, Dr. Josephine Kulea, the Foundation offers a safe haven for young women. Dr. Kulea and her staff rescue girls from female genital mutilation, beadwork and forced marriage in the north Kenya. giants of Africa he is grateful to help contribute to his mission and empower girls through sport.
Hundreds of Giants Africa Alumni have received scholarships abroad, including NBA player Precious Achiuwa of the Toronto Raptors, WWE star Tolupe Omogbehin aka Omos, and many others who have gone on to professional careers in a variety of industries.
Events and Marquee Programs 2023
built inside
(January and August 2023)
The 20-year milestone celebration kicks off this month with the follow-up to ‘built inside’the foundation’s multi-year 100-court commitment to invest in sports infrastructure throughout Africa.
In January 2023giants of Africa inaugurated five new courts in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso Y Nairobi, Kenyaincluding review of Diwopa, Kayole to renovate the first court built by the foundation in 2015. In addition, a court was built at Elman Peace in Mogadishu, Somalia – a country plagued by civil war, political instability and traditional cultural practices that limit the rights and autonomy of women and girls.
giants of Africa will be pleased to announce the opening of additional courts this summer.
African
(March 20 in Toronto Canada)
the second annual African event aims to advance Africa forward by uniting professionals working in the African Diaspora. The networking-style event creates a community that not only celebrates its African heritage, but also brings knowledge and resources to the continent.
Festival of the African Giants
(August 13 – 19 in Kigali, Rwanda)
the inaugural’Festival of the Giants of Africa’ will take place in Kigali, Rwanda. The celebration of a week of basketball, education, culture and entertainment will unite more than 250 young people from 16 of the countries that the foundation has visited. Africa. The festival will use basketball as a tool to educate and empower young Africans to dream big.
Highlights of the program include an opening ceremony celebration, an International Youth Day educational forum that brought together more than 2,000 young Rwandans, and a closing concert, all at the BK Arena.
For more information and ways to support these campers as they participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, visit www.GOAFestival.org
‘the giant of Africa‘festival in honor of Nelson Mandela
(December 3-5 in Toronto Canada)
A star-studded gala, Gigantes de Africa night at the Toronto Raptors game, an event for diversity, equity and inclusion and more.
About Giants of Africa and Maasai Ujiri
Vice President and President – Toronto Raptors; Co-Founder: Giants of Africa Masai Ujiri is the first and only African-born president of a professional sports franchise in North America – Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. In 2019, Masai led the Raptors to their first NBA Championship and the first NBA Championship won by an outside team. the United States in NBA history. Born and raised in NigeriaWith a deep passion for basketball, Masai began pursuing a career as an executive as his professional basketball career came to an end. In 2003, Masai co-founded the Giants of Africa Foundation, based on the idea of using basketball as a means to educate and enrich the lives of young Africans, both boys and girls. giants of Africa has used sport to help empower youth to dream big, organizing basketball camps and clinics for boys and girls in 17 countries across the continent. In 2021, Giants of Africa launched the ‘Built Within’ 100-court initiative and has unveiled 26 basketball facilities in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwandathe Democratic Republic of Congo, SenegalY Somalia till the date. To celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary, the inaugural Festival of the Giants of Africa will bring together more than 250 young people from 16 countries around the world. Africa a Kigali, Rwanda for a week-long celebration of basketball, education, culture and entertainment in August 2023.
For more information, visit www.GiantsofAfrica.org or follow @GiantsofAfrica on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE Giants of Africa
