Kigali, 13 August 2023, Rwanda Press – Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has said that Africans are brothers and sisters, alluding to himself, his wife and Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors president and vice-chair and Giants of Africa co-founder.
Kagame said this on Sunday, 13 August 2023, while opening the Giants of Africa Youth Basketball Festival bringing together more than 200 youth from 16 African countries in celebration of Giants of Africa’s 20th anniversary at BK Arena in Rwanda’s capital Kigali.
“Masai, interestingly said he is Nigerian, he is Kenyan…he is Rwandese. Let me tell you something similar to that; I was born here (Rwanda), I grew up in Uganda, my wife was born in Burundi, we met in Kenya and we are here. So, Africans that’s who we are. We are brothers, we are sisters. We are each other. I am you; you are me,” Kagame said amidst applause from a fully-packed BK Arena.
The Giants of Africa Festival aims to inspire and encourage young people from across the African continent while acknowledging their immense potential and the collective effort to create positive change.
With key themes including basketball, education, culture, and entertainment, the festival strives to unite and celebrate the next generation of leaders across Africa.
This festival brings together youth campers representing Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo; Senegal, Somalia, Uganda, Botswana, Ghana, South Sudan, Morocco, Cameroon and Mali.
The Festival’s key events include the opening ceremony celebration/concert featuring performances from award-winning singer Diamond Platnumz and Sherrie Silver, an award-winning choreographer; a championship and All-Star Game; a closing concert; and Umuganda.
On Monday, 14 August 2023, President Kagame and Masai Ujiri will break ground for Zaria Court Kigali, an urban development project with a focus on community, hospitality, sports and culture.
A hub for social and cultural community gatherings and a magnet for sports enthusiasts, influencers and Africa’s booming middle class, the first Zaria Court is located within Kigali’s lively sports and entertainment district, near the BK Arena and under-construction Amahoro Stadium, and is slated to open early 2025.
The project is the first Zaria Court on the continent, and is centred around an urban hospitality hub which reuses existing buildings and features an 80-room boutique hotel, restaurants, a rooftop lounge, a gym, wellness spaces, co-working spaces and a podcast studio.
At the heart of the site is a multi-purpose court, which will serve as a space for sporting events, festivals, performances, markets and other events. Zaria Court Kigali includes a vibrant retail area which will adapt to the needs of the neighbourhood and visitors.
Shipping containers will be repurposed into shops and other businesses, creating an environmentally sustainable retail space that serves as an incubation hub, targeted at women-owned businesses and young local entrepreneurs.
On the last day of the Festival, President Kagame, Masai Ujiri, and over 200 youth campers will join the Kigali community in cleanup activities where the campers will get an opportunity to learn more about the importance of climate change and sustainability.
