ReboundGH: ABaCoDe

Showing posts with label ABaCoDe. Show all posts

ABaCoDe-Ghana is now known as DUNK! which stands for Developing Unity, Nurturing Knowledge. The name change became official when co-founders Marie-Eve Lemieux and Mohammed Khaled announced it on their facebook and in emails sent out to their network of partners and sponsors over the past week. ABaCoDe is the biggest non-governmental grassroots basketball development programme in Ghana now, with a current membership of 200 kids spread across 8 teams in 5 communities and over 600 participants benefited from their programmes and events in 2012.

The reason for the change of name was quoted in the letter as: ''This rebranding is the result of multiple discussions regarding the challenges in fundraising as a chapter organization and the inefficiency of operating in three countries with few staff members.Henceforth we will no longer be a chapter organization of ABaCoDe-African Ball and Community Development."

"Nothing much will change in the organization, apart from the tag line which will now be ''promoting success on and off the court" instead of the former "education through sports" but we will still continue to focus on education and basketball development for 6-16 year olds" said Marie-Eve in a conversation.

Visit their soon to be launched website www.dunkgrassroots.org or like their facebook page right now.

ABaCoDe Ghana's first ever inter-community league ended over the weekend. Fueled by the lack of an organized league for youth(U15), the organization created the league to cater for their kids' game needs from all four communities ABaCoDe runs after school programs in. Exciting games were played every Saturday at the CYCC Court, Kawukudi among the teams. The championship day went great, the post on ABaCoDe's facebook read:

''It happened yesterday, after months of hard work and determination, the time had finally come to crown the Champions and reward those who excelled on and off the court! 6 teams, 8 matches, mad skills, all of it on ONE court! Big ups to Youngsters who came 4th, Golden Boys (3rd), Bravehearts (2nd) and Shining Stars (1st). It was a long journey but we have made it! We also have to mention Lady Soldiers and Spartans who played in great exhibition games. Thanks to all participants!''

According to country director of ABaCoDe, Marie-Eve Lemieux, the next season of the league is scheduled to start soon, this time with other non-ABaCoDe teams competiting as well.

It's Thursday afternoon at the Lincoln Community School gym at Abelemkpe - Accra. LCS had invited Accra High School for their basketball season opening games for both boys' and girls' teams. The LCS Lions got away with big margin wins against their opponents in both games. Among the crowd cheering the Lions to their victories were about fifty kids from ABaCoDe's Nima program. The kids and everyone present seemed to have had a lot of fun.

As much fun as the games and wins were for the hosts, what made everyone present more excited was the book drive organized by LCS to collect books in support of ABaCoDe's library at their after school study centre. Students were encouraged to donate books in exchange for different flavors of snow cones. By the end of the day over 150 books had been collected for ABaCoDe's library. ''I'm very excited and these books will be added to the about 40 we have already in our library to support our goal of education through sports'', Marie-Eve Lemieux(country director of ABaCoDe-Ghana) said in a conversation.