Sports has always played a major role during the formative years of a youth’s development. Not only does it build positive social skills and teamwork, it also encourages discipline and fair play.

This is why we are so happy to report that, with the help of Croatian communities in the United States and Missionszentrale der Franziskaner in Dortmund, Germany we were finally able to complete a surfaced area of land to create an outdoor basketball/volleyball court and a playground for nearby Padri Vjeko Centre.

It isn’t only our students from the school who are able to take advantage of this sports’ venue. No, indeed….we see any number of youth and young children from the villages of Kivumu and Musengo on the concrete slab with basketball markings, having a fun time with whatever activity they are engaged in.

The play area is located adjacent to our present boys’ boarding section, so this is a great advantage to those youth who like to get out after school hours to practice their skills at basketball and volleyball. And by encouraging these kind of activities, we allow our youth to not only benefit from better physical health, they also learn to act effectively under pressure, develop greater self esteem and acquire a sense of confidence.

There is no limit to the advantages to being engaged in sport activities – it is well known that rates of juvenile delinquency and school dropouts are reduced as the energy of youth is redirected towards a more holistic and healthy lifestyle. And the incentive to complete after school studies in a timely fashion so that the youth can participate in an exciting sports game is a very good reason to have the basketball/volleyball court located close by the boarding section.

It is wonderful to see the young people active and shouting out to their fellow players in the midst of a game. Despite the extreme poverty that exists here in this rural area of Rwanda, playing sports on the outdoor basketball/volleyball court costs the children nothing and it is good for the entire community to see our youth so happy and playing on the field.

Edited by Valerie kae Ken