By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – The ground breaking ceremony for the construction of a classroom for the Basketball Artists School took place on Monday, 21 July 2014, at the Katutura Sports Complex.
The construction officially started with a symbolic turn of the sod by H.E. Onno Hückmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Namibia and Bernhard Kaanjuka, Acting Director of Sport in the Ministry of Youth, National Service, Sport and Culture, together with representatives of the Namibian Basketball Federation (NBF) and the Basketball Artists School (BAS).
BAS is an after-school programme focusing on academic tutoring, life skills and basketball under the motto “Education First – Basketball Second”. The main aim is to enable less-privileged children to attain a better future perspective.
Currently 45 children between the ages 11 to 16 are attending the programme. As BAS did not have own facilities to ensure the daily support of the children, fundraising activities started in 2011, resulting in donations of approx. N$ 550 000 by private German sponsors.
In addition, via its micro-project fund, the German Embassy contributed N$ 342 500, bringing the total budget to almost N$ 900 000. The building with a floor area of 180 square meters will include two classrooms, two locker rooms with ablution facilities, a kitchen and an office. Outside, a veranda of 90 square meters will be constructed.
BAS was founded in February 2010 with support of the German non-profit organisation
ISIBINDI e.V. and has since been working together with Namibian partners like the Namibian Basketball Federation, Physically Active Youth (PAY), Special Olympics Namibia and several Katutura schools.