The Giants of Africa Basketball Court will be unveiled in Kimisagara Youth Centre on August 19, 2023. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: Giants of Africa turns 20, here is what it means The unveiling ceremony will be followed by a youth basketball clinic hosted by Giants of Africa Coaches. Giants of Africa - a not-for-profit - sporting group travels the African continent conducting basketball camps for boys and girls, building courts, and facilitating outreach initiatives to empower youth throughout Africa. Kimisagara Youth Centre (formerly Maison des Jeunes Kimisagara) was initiated in 1995 after 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi as an accommodation centre for children in Kimisagara sector, Nyarugenge district, City of Kigali. Since 2011, the government equipped the centre with more programmes to help children. Managed by the Ministry of Youth, the centre is a one stop youth employment and productive center with mission to enhance growth and competitiveness of youth. The centre receives at least 600 youth every day for different programmes. The centre has different sports facilities including football pitch, basket and handball courts and as well as gymnasium used during the rainy season according to Program Manager of Kimisagara Youth Centre in Rwanda, Tadeo Talemwa. ALSO READ: Regional handball club tourney starts at of Kimisagara Youth Centre “The sports facilities entertain youth especially during holidays. They spend time playing instead of being immersed in bad behaviors. That is why Giants of Africa supported us in refurbishing the basketball court into a modern facility which will be unveiled on August 19. This basketball court will attract more youth in basketball,” he said. ALSO READ: VIDEO: Kagame, Giants of Africa launch basketball facility in Nyamirambo He said that the centre has produced many players for many teams at national level. The centre generally provides different services including ICT Training, apprenticeship program, vocational training, sports, dance/art, talent development, lessons on volunteerism, civic education and patriotism, information desk on HIV/ AIDS, family planning and life skills, English, French , Chinese, Korea, and Swahili languages training, music and youth entrepreneurship. Talemwa explained that vocational training courses are offered to vulnerable youth for six months. “There are three courses namely tailoring, hairdressing and beauty as well as hospitality which include hotel management, customer care and culinary arts. They get certificates which help them get or create employment,” he said. He said that talent detection and promotion targets different youth associations with focus on skating, boxing, singing, modern and traditional dancing. “Those grouped in modern and traditional dancing associations are already earning income from performing in weddings and other ceremonies every weekend,” Talemwa said. The health department of the centre also provides sexual reproductive health education. Talemwa said that in ICT skills, the centre trains different youth at all levels. He said that the youth are also educated on other programmes such as good governance, patriotism, volunteer spirit among others. “The centre has big halls that can host big community and local government meetings,” he said. The centre also has a job desk with computers connected to the internet. This facilitates, free of charge, youth trained at this centre and university youth who are conducting research writing dissertations and those looking for jobs.
