BasketBall Program in Africa

ABaCoDe, for African Ball and Community Development (Project of developing a basketball program in Africa) is a non-profit organization which is currently in development. Simon Gillespie and Nicolas Michaud, the two founders, made their first trip to Uganda last summer in order to get a feel of the environment and to meet with local officers. “The idea is help the youth grow through sports, both as athletes and as human beings” explains Nicolas Michaud, a Concordia student who is majoring in Athletic Therapy. Basketball teammates and good friends in everyday life, Nicolas Michaud and Simon Gillespie decided to start this project in order to help the less fortunate, to pass on their passion for the game of basketball and to give a chance to others. “We want to give the kids a chance to play basketball in a structured area, with coaches, a decent court and through this, get local interveners to transmit values and give them an education different than the one they get in school”, says Simon Gillespie, a Université de Montréal student in politics. Both of them are 20 years old.

It is in the district of Mukono that ABaCoDe has suggested to establish its premises. In Uganda, thanks to Robert Kibaya, their contact in the country and a local humanitarian, Nicolas Michaud and Simon Gillespie were able to meet with heads of governmental organizations and associations which enabled them to receive support and feedback. “It was very important to see how we could adjust our action plan to meet the needs, to meet the recommendations and to adjust according to the available resources” says Nicolas Michaud. The two founders estimate that it will take approximately 5 years to complete their project and it shall be done in many steps.

First, introduce the basketball fundamentals in primary and secondary schools by training the sports teachers. The training of head coaches would follow, this being done with the help of knowledgeable coaches from Canada and East Africa. Then would come the time to build outdoor courts and from there, the last step would be to establish basketball camps.

ABaCoDe is also thinking about installing a information access center close to the courts that the youth and the community could access.

For now, Nicolas Michaud and Simon Gillespie have raised just a little over 4000$ for their project. Fundraising will be achieved through basketball tournaments, benefit dinners, shows and information sessions. The organization will also be looking for serious sponsors. “We wanted to grow through this. The cause is really important to us. It’s a real passion for us and we won’t stop until our goals are achieved!” concludes Nicolas Michaud.