In Village of Kora, Kora Cell, Bigogwe Sector in Nyabihu District, a modern Basketball Court has been built.
This Court was inaugurated on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, built with the cooperation of the Italian Non-profit Organization ‘RIFARD’, SGI Sports Academy and the Catholic Diocese of Nyundo through the Parish of Kora.
It aims to help the youth of this area escape from isolation through sports, especially the students of Groupe Scolaire Kora Catholic and others.
This ceremony was attended by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Nyundo, Mgr. Mwanmwaneza Anaclet, members of RIFARD, CEO of SGI Sports Academy, Rurangayire Guy Didier, the Priest of the Parish of Kora, Father Makuza Epimaque, the Vice Mayor of Nyabihu District in charge of Social Affairs, SIMPENZWE Pascal, Technical Director of the Rwanda Basketball Federation, Mutokambale Moise, various Priests working in Nyundo Diocese, students of Kora Catholic School and others…
After inauguration, everyone is happy because the youth are going to use it to improve their talents as well as to prevent them from going into bad habits that include drugs and unplanned pregnancies as it was repeated in the inauguration.
After opening it, friendly games were played, aimed at showing the children how to use it.
These games, which include Groupe Scolaire Kora Catholic and the Priests team, this game ended in favor of the Priests team with 19 points to 16.
The second game between the RIFARD team and the Priests’s, ended in favor of RIFARD with 16 points to 06.
Rotondo Walter, who sponsored the construction of this Court, said that the construction of the Court is for his brother who passed away in 2021, at only 42 years of age due to Cancer.
He said: “My brother Luigi Rotondo used to see young people happy especially through Sports”.
“After he passed away, I decided that I will do everything possible to continue his legacy through what he loved when he is on Earth.”
I have no doubt that right now he is in Heaven and he is happy because he is seeing children playing and being happy as he loved when he was alive.
“The two children he left behind, I told him that I will also stay close to them, and train them to be good and be human like their father used to.”
Bishop Mwumvaneza Anaclet, to the joy of receiving this Court in the Diocese of Nyundo, said: “We are happy to have this Court built in collaboration with Walter. We can not find words to describe our happiness for RIFARD”.
“Good interpersonal relationships bring many benefits. I would like to thank Father Makuza Epimaque of the Parish of Kora, who played a role in strengthening this relationship between us and the Italians ‘RIFARD’, because after he went to Italy to study, he also gain such friends, and these are the ones who built it”.
It’s not just this Court, because there are others that have been built and are still being built, all of this is done for the purpose of our youth and us in general to have a better life.
The Bishop concluded his speech by requesting other charities continue to increase within the country in order to help the development of Sports.
He also thanked the Rwanda Basketball Federation, FERWABA, who joined them in this ceremony, as well as the gifts of equipment ‘Playing Balls’ that will help these young Kids improve their talents.
The Priest of the Parish of Kora, Makuza Epimaque, said that he was particularly pleased with the friendship he had with this Italian family ‘RIFARD’, the fruits of which have begun to appear.
“I actually went to Italy to study, I didn’t know that it would turn out to be so good,” he said.
No one would have seen the value of living well with people until such an infrastructure was created, which will help our youth develop talents in various sports, especially Basketball.
The Technical Director of FERWABA, Mutokambale Moise in his Remarks, said that he is happy that RIFARD has stepped in as a partner of Federation by helping them. Because, this Court will help youth to develop their talent in this game.
He said, “I thank RIFARD for its role in building this Court, especially the Diocese of Nyundo and the Parish of Kora”.
Seeing childrens playing Basketball and being supported by their relatives, shows that the development of Basketball in Rwanda is being so close.
He Concludes his remarks, by thanked the CEO of SGI Sports Academy for his role in helping the development of Basketball in the country, because when partners come, he informs the Federation and participates in the planned activities, instead of coming back without knowing what happened.
The Vice Mayor of Nyabihu District in charge of Social Affairs, SIMPENZWE Pascal, said that this Court will help the citizens of this District to do sports and have a good life, especially the residents of this Erea.
He said, “This Court will help us in particular to produce results in sports through the game of Basketball, as well as to help fight against violence that includes unplanned pregnancies, because instead of the youth taking time to engage in these bad activities, they will put more effort into playing on this field”.
RIFARD has been working in Rwanda for 6 years, which is the only country in Africa where it works so far, while it plans to expand their activities in Mozambique and Brazil as soon as possible.
Last year, RIFARD donated sports equipment to more than 2,000 students of Groupe Scolaire Kora Catholic, in collaboration with SGI Sports Academy.
In Sports, especially Basketball and Mini-Football, it works through the ‘BEE PROJECT’. While RIFARD is managed by Marco Fiorini.
Kora Parish is one of the 26 Parishes that make up Nyundo Diocese.
The Kora cell where this Court is built, is one of the 73 cells that make up Nyabihu District.
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