Sports & Education Center for James-Town (Ghana)

The center has gradually become a household name for the youth of Jamestown. Furthermore, the Ghana Education Service has endorsed the DUNK program  as a development pillar and resuorce center within the Jametsown district. Consequently, these endorsement led to the hosting and implementation of a capcity building project funded by the Europen Union. 3 selected school were invited to the center to discuss various issues affecting the community and share best practice to approach these issues (For instance - the use of sports to intrduce and the team youth about their Sexual Reproductive Health  Rights was one of the themes during the 3 day workshop. Furthermore, 6 youth and 2 staff from the community were selected to travel to Germany, South Africa and Zambia. 

The basketball program has seen an increasing number of participants. This has led to the creation of mini basketball team that have their FUN sessions of Saturdays- These children spend their whole Saturday at the center. Therefore with the support of partners like ( Lincoln Community School), series of actiivites are plan for Saturdays to improve these children free learining skills.

The vocational traning program has also seen an increase in number from 6 to 10 teengae mother. These enrolled ladies are already able to make fine skirts, table clothes, pillow cases and their signature design called "the flower of hope" etc. They have also gained confident in themselves through this ability. They are schedule to official start producing sample -items for partners and donors coming June 2017. 

Thanks to your support so far for making this dream a reality! With your support we will able to double the number and impact when the center if fully completed. 

Sports: We conducted a trials in August for the selection of children for our sports program. An initail number of 45 children were selected per season. 120 children showed up to partciapate in the trials, none of them were girls. After a week of trial 7 girls later registered to partcipate in the sports program. This number grew slowly. Currently we have 18 girls and counting. So far 4 teams have been created ( U-16 boys, U-14 boys and U15 - all girls) we are forced to create a U-10 teams soon to meet the increasing number of children in sports program After two weeks of practices each team have had their first debut against American Interntional School in Accra. We lost all games ( as expcted) however, this set as a bar for our evaluation procedures.

Personal development: Life skills and leadrership tranings are oranized on weekends emcompassing our 5 values. Each team have undergo a workshop using both practical and theoritical ways to build the capacity of the youth usisng sports a  base. All session are held at the facility's library - Thanks to you donation.

Arts ands crafts are also orgnized at the same premises reaching out to 30 children per session.

After-School classes: The facility is allowing us to bridge the gap between lack of resources at local schools and children not have private space at home to study. The library is divided into two session. Early afternoons is the free open libarary which accepts walk-in and anybody who wants to access it while late afternoons are when claases organized for our basketball teams who are mandated to partcipate  with our volunteers in basic maths and english following the national school curriculum. 

Newly introduced to the facility in the vocational traning for teenage mothers. 40% of girls of ages 14-18years have ever engaged in unhealthy sexual practices. The facility allows us to identify these teenage mothers to enroll them back into school or vocation training, while their children and enrolled in free Prekindergarten as the same Sports & Education Center - Thanks to your support. 

The facility though under operations, there are still some works to be completed ( roofing, toilets and baths, stands, demarkation of lines on the court etc)