GHANA
Ghana is a country located in West Africa. Once named the Golden Coast, it was the first country to obtain its independence from the British in 1957. Although bordered by former French colonies such as Togo and te Ivory Coast, Ghana’s main language is English.
Economically speaking, Ghana was listed as The World’s Fastest Growing Economy in 2011. Counting on a number of resources such as gold, oil and cocoa Ghana has to everything to perform well.
Ghana is also well-known now given its accomplishment at the 2010 World Cup, where the Black Stars, Ghana’s national soccer team, became only one of three African soccer teams in history to advance to the World Cup quarter finals. With the success of the Black Stars, the sport’s popularity is reaching fever pitch.
WHY GHANA?
Although soccer has long been the national sport, in recent years a newfound interest for basketball is on the rise. New courts have been built, many of them in the capital, Accra, where the sport is most popular. Unfortunately, basketball is still played by the most fortunate people, due to the cost of equipment such as shoes, clothes and basketballs. This is why ABaCoDe started activities in Ghana and aims at giving less fortunate children the chance to play basketball. Furthermore the country is safe and peaceful , making it an ideal environment for our program.
UGANDA
Uganda, or the Pearl of Africa, as it was nicknamed by Sir Winston Churchill, is an East African Country which remains relatively unknown from the Western World, especially if we compare to its to neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania. This is a shame because it has no reasons to envy them being a country with lush vegetation and a much diversified fauna. It is home to the source of the longest river in the world, the Nile. It has the biggest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria and it has a wildlife that can easily match the much more touristic Kenya and Tanzania.
After having some difficult years on the politic side in the 70’s and 80’s, Uganda is now a stable state. The president, Mr. Yoweri Museveni has been in place since 1986 and has brought peace to all of the southern part of the country. The northern part still has political difficulties due to Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) whose actions have resulted in thousands of refugees. A cease-fire has been signed in 2006 but a peace treaty has yet to be signed. One of the political characteristics in Uganda is the existence of traditional kingdoms that were there way before the European colonization. Today, even though they are not recognized outside the country, they still have influence on the population, mainly, but not exclusively in the cultural domain. Also, the name Uganda comes from the name of one of the kingdoms, the Kingdom of Buganda.
The Ugandan economy was been growing consistently in the past years and its GDP, set at 12 billion dollars (US dollars) has a 6,5 % growth. The economy relies mostly on agriculture, which employs about 80 % of the labour force. Thanks to very fertile lands, two rain seasons and an equatorial climate, agriculture is practiced all year. The main products are coffee, tea, cotton, cassava, potatoes and corn and livestock includes beef, pork and chicken. Also, fishing is an important part of the economy in certain regions. The main exports are cotton, tea, gold, fish and fish products and the main export is coffee. Uganda can also count on substantial amounts of copper, cobalt and gold.
WHY UGANDA?
First of all, Uganda is, to North Americans, a country that remains relatively unknown, especially when we compare it to its neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania. This is unfortunate because it has as much to offer. Although it has great potential, the country still lacks infrastructures. For instance, main roads are sealed but secondary roads aren’t, electricity is widely available but the service is frequently interrupted. There are, to this date, only two indoor basketball courts in Uganda, which are located in the Lugogo Sports Complex and Ntinda, and schools own most of the other outdoor courts.
Another reason to establish ABaCoDe in Uganda is the political stability. Uganda has been a stable state for over 20 years. Although there is still a lot of poverty in the country, extreme poverty is rare. In other words, the basic needs of the population (food, water, clothes, shelter) are generally met which means that it is possible to develop sports programs.
Finally, the Ugandan Government plans on investing more money in sports in the upcoming years, and wishes also to encourage initiatives related to sports, which could give a good opportunity for ABaCoDe to make basketball more accessible to kids in the Community.
Sources : Uganda Government, Ghana Government, Canada Government, CIA world factbook
