As part of efforts to ensure the young child does not become a liability to his society, community or country. Ghanaian-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Dunk Grassroots has over the past 12 years worked tirelessly to empower children and youth in deprived communities.
It uses sports, life skills, and arts as development tools to create safe spaces for kids and the youth to reach their full potential.
The organization is heavily invested in not just helping its beneficiaries on the playground but even more so off it. As such, education is one aspect of life that the organization does not compromise on. It runs an after-school library where all athletes or players are required to spend a minimum number of hours to improve their cognitive abilities. This initiative ensures upgrading the educational status of her beneficiaries is a must-achieve dream, be it after writing Basic Education Certificate Examination (B.E.C.E.) or West African Senior School Certificate Examination (W.A.S.S.C.E.)
“We’re more concerned about the wholistic training of our beneficiaries because it’s the key to unlocking the future we want for them here at Dunk Grassroot”
“Giving them opportunities to exhibit their talents is a plus for us but most importantly education is a must ingredient they must add” according to Co-Founder, Mo Tahir.
Dunk grassroots has a student-athlete collaboration with a number of senior high schools including Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School, St. Mary’s High School, St. John Senior High School (Sekondi), Accra Wesley Girls High School and Sacred Heart Technical Institute.
Through this student-athlete program, Dunk is proud to have been able to assist eight (8) of its beneficiaries gain admission into some of these schools after failing to get placement in this year’s B.E.C.E. examination.
Today, four (4) girls from across Dunk’s three centres have been admitted at Accra Wesley Girls Senior High School, three are in Sekondi- Takoradi at St. John High School and one at the Sacred Heart Technical Institute.
Dunk strongly believes in the potential of its young beneficiaries and with the help of donors and partners will continue striving to help them get the very best out of life despite their backgrounds or a system that is unable to help them.
It is worth noting, the organization has also put in place weekly practices for the various teams under its watch, a quarterly tournament and an Annual Street Sports Festival. Aside from these events, an art studio is opened daily to kids after school and sew your future project for young women in the communities to sew.
Source: Kwawu Victor
