Kick Drugs Out: Basketball for 500 Youth At-Risk

Dear Prospective Donors,

Thank you for taking time to read about our work. Though we have not yet received funding for this project, we remain hopeful and grateful for your interest and future support.

Since the project “Kick Drugs Out: Basketball for 500 Youth At-Risk” went live on GlobalGiving, our team has taken key first steps to prepare for full implementation once funds are available.

We have mapped out six densely populated zones on the outskirts of Abuja: Nyanya Area A, B, C, D, E, and F. These areas are heavily affected by youth unemployment and a high number of school dropouts. We encountered large groups of young people with no access to positive activities. Many are involved in cult-related violence, street fights, substance use, petty theft, and teenage pregnancy. Without trusted adults or positive peer engagement, the situation continues to worsen.

To begin the intervention, we located a centrally positioned public school with an existing basketball court that can be used for our programme. However, the court is in very poor shape. There are no rims, no nets, no line markings, and only bare iron posts standing. We have already held a meeting with the school management. They agreed that we can use the space on the condition that we repair and prepare the court to a playable condition.

Attached to this report are current photos of the court.
Our next step is to obtain a cost estimate for fixing the court surface, rims, and basic seating. Once we receive our first round of donations, this will be the first activity. After that, we will move into youth mobilization, training sessions, and group mentorship using basketball as a tool for social inclusion and life planning.

We are excited to take this journey with your help and will continue to share updates as the project unfolds.

With gratitude,
Joy Ojochogwu Etubi
Project Leader