As of this writing, it’s been about three weeks since I gave my dad two long hugs at JFK, both of us understanding that a new chapter was about to unfold. That moment marked the end of over two years since I had moved back home to New York after graduating from McGill University in Montreal. I was going to deeply miss my friends and family, but it was simply time for new beginnings. I had been counting down the days for this journey to begin, one that would combine my love of basketball with a fascination for a country that has made remarkable strides of progress despite enduring the unimaginable.
In the early hours of January 9, I touched down in the “Land of a Thousand Hills” after a 20-hour journey that spanned from New York City to the Ivory Coast, then to Ethiopia, and finally Kigali, Rwanda. After picking up my Visa, I grabbed my two suitcases from the luggage claim and spotted a taxi driver who offered to drive me to the Airbnb in Kimihurura where I would be spending the week with Sam - Shooting Touch’s Director of Communications - as well as Lucy and Madi, the two other new Shooting Touch Fellows, hailing from Tennessee and California, respectively. I observed the lush greenery and immaculate streets out the passenger window, though my attention was mainly focused on navigating my driver in French to the correct address while my iPhone desperately hung on at 1%. Alas, I spotted Sam and the guard standing outside the house - I’d finally reached my destination two calendar days after departing.
I woke up early due to the jet lag and worked out with the Olympic rings I had brought over. Later that morning, Sam and I picked up Madi from the airport, who had just completed a six hour layover in Doha. With the Fellowship crew assembled at last, we immediately took part in a group orientation attended by some of the other Shooting Touch colleagues we’d be closely working with: Christelle, our Program Director, as well as Denise and Ingrid - two rockstar Community Engagement Coordinators operating out of Bugesera and Kayonza. Sam orchestrated the orientation over the ensuing couple hours, encouraging us to articulate our individual strengths, our preferred ways of collaborating and receiving feedback, as well as how we wish to successfully grow through this experience. Just as importantly, it was an opportunity for all of us to be vulnerable and transparent about our backgrounds, given that we’d be spending a lot of time with each other.
After Madi took her well-deserved nap, Lucy and I went for a jog around the neighborhood to familiarize ourselves with the new environment and acclimate our lungs to the higher altitude. We were the subject of quite a few stares - a very common occurrence in Rwanda, especially when locals spot some new foreigners in their neighborhood.
The next day, we went to the Shooting Touch court in Mayange Sector, Bugesera District, and got a chance to introduce ourselves to the coaches and female adult beneficiaries. The practice was cut a bit short due to rainfall, but we were able to squeeze in a chaotic full court scrimmage. We then drove over to another court and assisted a boys practice in Rilima. Some of the kids giggled while attempting to utter a few words in English as hundreds of other eyeballs gazed at us with curiosity. A beautiful sunset hung over the field as the practice wrapped up at around 6:00pm. The long day culminated with a dinner in Bugesera at a local restaurant suggested by Sam. I devoured my plate and immediately passed out in the car on the way back.
Spirits were high in Rwinkwavu
Over the ensuing days, Sam helped us set up our local MTN phone SIM cards and Bank of Kigali accounts, a must given the prevalence of Rwanda’s Mobile Money system. We also attended a local youth basketball clinic organized by members of the APR basketball team (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise) led by former Pistons Assistant Coach Billy Bayno. Finally, we visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a deeply moving experience.
Additional highlights involved visiting the court in Nyamirama, where we helped dozens of women build a drainage ditch around the basketball court as part of umuganda, which translates to “coming together in common purpose to achieve an outcome,” as well as taking a 30 minute moto taxi all the way to Rukara, where hundreds of ST female beneficiaries warmly greeted us with applause.
I also recently played on the Rwinkwavu basketball team headed by one of Shooting Touch’s head coaches, Laurent, as part of the Umurenge Kagame Cup, a tournament initiated across the sectors of Rwanda to promote good governance, health, and mobilize citizens to compete in sport and competition. The games were a lot of fun, even though our team didn’t quite come out on top.
However, my 7:00am two hour bus ride on the way to the Kagame Cup games was just as noteworthy. I met a woman named Judith who was kind enough to share her life story with me. It was both fascinating and sobering, listening to her personal evolution as someone who experienced the 1994 genocide as a 14-year-old and how it continued to affect her life and marriage during the aftermath. She explained how, for years, her life had been tied to domestic work, and how the visual trauma seen by her husband rendered it difficult for him to converse with her. Yet, she assured me that in the last few years, she has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel, evident in her infectious spirit and personal desire to uplift other women. She also showed me pictures of her kids, now grown up, as well as her wish to ship the avocadoes she grows to the United States.
To me, this encounter further confirmed the myriad reasons for why I was so thrilled to arrive in Rwanda. As I reflect on the past weeks, each encounter, experience, and heartfelt connection has reaffirmed the profound reasons that fueled my excitement for this journey, emphasizing the rich tapestry of personal stories, the transformative power of basketball, and the boundless spirit of resilience within the Rwandan community.
ABOUT ALEXANDRE SHERMAN
Alexandre earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in 2021, majoring in English with minors in Political Science and Communication Studies. Before joining Shooting Touch, Alexandre garnered experience at two prominent public relations agencies in NYC. Alexandre is eager to learn more about how the sports industry can join forces with the public and private sectors to drive social and economic development across Africa.