When Liberatha Mukaneza lost her family during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, she withdrew into years of silence, avoiding crowds and conversation as trauma pushed her into isolation. A resident of Nyamirama Sector in Kayonza District, Mukaneza recalls how deeply the experience affected her. “After the genocide, I had lost everything and started isolating myself. I couldn’t even sit with others,” she said. That began to change in 2021 when her neighbour, Laetitia Dusenge, invited her to join a group of local women playing basketball. The initiative uses sport as a tool for empowerment and healing. Mukaneza first watched from the sidelines. Then, gradually, she joined in. “Now I come here, I play, I laugh. It has helped me feel human again,” she said. “Before, I had no hope for the future. I struggled with psychological wounds, but today I am active in our savings group. Playing basketball helped me overcome my isolation.” Across Eastern Province, basketball is emerging as an unlikely but effective tool for women and young people, including genocide survivors to confront trauma, rebuild trust and reconnect with their communities. On local courts, healing unfolds through movement, teamwork and shared experience. “Sometimes someone will just sit and observe for weeks,” said a coach involved in the sessions. “Then one day, they join. That step means everything.” Mental health experts say such environments play a critical role in long-term recovery. “Trauma often leads to withdrawal,” said a mental health nurse at Rwinkwavu Hospital. “When people engage in team sports like basketball, they regain confidence and rebuild social connections. It’s a gradual but powerful process.” Organisations are building on this connection. Through a partnership with the Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA), the non-profit Shooting Touch has expanded access to courts and structured programmes in rural communities. “Basketball is a platform we use for women’s empowerment,” said Sasha Haguma, Director of Partnerships and Development at Shooting Touch. “We have built seven courts—five in Kayonza and two in Bugesera. On these courts, tens of thousands of residents meet and play. We provide a safe space, especially for women, to share both the court and conversations as we work toward social cohesion.” Haguma said the programme is also improving livelihoods and helping address gender-based violence and depression, while fostering healthier communities through sport. Beyond social cohesion, the courts are shaping Rwanda’s basketball future, according to François-Régis Gahuranyi, Executive Director of FERWABA. Shooting Touch courts have produced more than 40 players for the national system, he said. “We have also seen MVPs who started on these rural courts now playing on the national team.” FERWABA plans to expand similar initiatives to other districts. “We want to launch programmes in more areas,” Gahuranyi said. “We have already exchanged ideas on implementation in Rubavu and Musanze. Grassroots basketball is becoming a key pillar in promoting both talent and social cohesion, particularly in communities with limited sports infrastructure.” Today, more than 2,500 women across Eastern Province are participating in basketball sessions, finding not just a game, but a path toward healing, connection and hope.
