Mombasa youth are among 10,000 youths across four counties set to benefit from basketball league NBA Africa and Safaricom’s Jr. NBA Program.
Launched in Nairobi on Tuesday, M-Pesa Jr NBA Program will provide basketball development and financial literacy programming to more than 10,000 boys and girls in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, and Eldoret in NBA Africa’s first expansive youth development program in East Africa.
The first year of the program will consist of a regional tournament for youth ages 13-16 in Nairobi on the 22nd-23rd of February, in Mombasa on the 8th -9th of March, in Eldoret on the 15th-16th of March, and in Kisumu on 22nd to 23rd of March.
“Tipping off our multi-year collaboration with Safaricom is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to make basketball more accessible to Kenyan boys and girls. We look forward to positively impacting youth and coaches across the country through basketball development and life skills programming,” said NBA Africa CEO Claire Akamanzi.
20 boys’ and 20 girls’ teams in each city will participate in skills development sessions and competitive games. The top 80 players will then be grouped into four boys’ teams and four girls’ teams that will play games in a round-robin format.
The Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa will host the top 16 boys and girls teams from each city in an elite top 100 camp.
“Through M-Pesa Go, this partnership transcends beyond basketball. It is driven by a shared vision to create a lasting impact, not only in sports but also in the broader context of youth empowerment. We are committed to nurturing potential, building character, and equipping the next generation with tools necessary for success,” said Safaricom CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa.
In addition to the basketball development programming, Safaricom through M-Pesa will host financial literacy workshops for the participating youth, empowering them to develop healthy financial habits.
“We firmly believe that collaboration between M-Pesa Go and the Jr NBA Program can pave the way for growth and financial health, enabling young athletes to develop their skills and seize opportunities at the next level,” said Dr. Peter Ndegwa.
The collaboration comes at an opportune moment as M-Pesa marks a milestone as it celebrates its 18th anniversary in March.