United Initiatives and Sports for Peace hosted a 3 day United Ballers program at the Kabuga Youth Center and Doctrina Vitae College in Kigali, Rwanda.
50 girls participated in the program, many of whom are survivors of the 1994 genocide.
Although it has been 15 years, mental, physical, and emotional pain are still evident. Often, the psychology grief of war is passed from generation to generation, thus making the healing and reconciliation process long and painful.

More than 1 million people lost their lives in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Additionally, over 500,000 women were raped (often being infected with HIV/AIDS), two-thirds of the population was displaced resulting in over 2 million refugees, and over 300,000 children were orphaned. Sadly enough, this was not the first genocide of our time.
The aftermath of these destructive cycles of war is daunting.
Social institutions stop functioning, critical health and education systems break down, physical infrastructure is destroyed, agriculture activity is interrupted, food supplies become scarce, commerce and trade shrink, poverty increases, populations are uprooted and made homeless, epidemic diseases spread unchecked, discrimination against vulnerable populations increases, and violence and criminality become widespread.

As human beings, we must realize our interconnectedness to one another and our innate responsibility to make efforts to heal and rebuild our world. Through the strife we must not only envision a world where all human rights are respected and communities thrive in peaceful co-existence, but we must take action and cultivate it.

"All this will not be finished in the first 100 days, nor will it be finished in the first 1000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin." (JFK)

UIP, in partnership with COSAD/SHARE, manifested it’s first ever Court Quest initiative at Kiteyagwa Primary School in Bukoba, Tanzania. This was a historical moment for UIP and sets the foundation for many more Court Quest initiatives in Tanzania and worldwide.
Bukoba is an economically challenged small town on Lake Victoria in northwest Tanzania where recreational opportunities and facilities are rare. In November 2008, UIP met the founders of COSAD (Smart Baitani) and SHARE (Shannon and Karen McNamara) at a fundraiser and started planning their collaborative female empowerment ideas for the girls of Bukoba. COSAD (Community Solutions for Africa’s Development) is a 501©3 non-profit organization committed to providing numerous programs that serve the community of Bukoba. SHARE (SHannon’s After-school Reading Exchange), an English reading group for girls, is among one of the programs that COSAD hosts. SHARE’s vision is to create a literary environment that inspires girls in East Africa to reach their highest potential. When girls have a safe place to meet and learn they can thrive – and when they thrive, everyone around them thrives too. For more information on COSAD/SHARE please visit them online at www.cosad.org/share

UIP, in partnership with Sports for Peace, conducted a 3 day United Ballers program with 30 girls from the Kibera slums district in Nairobi, Kenya. The program was hosted at the Nairobi Baptist Church where girls engaged in various activities promoting teambuilding, self-empowerment, goal setting, and social activism. As part of our commitment to community service, the girls volunteered at several local foster care homes in Nairobi. UIP donated jump ropes, soccer balls, coloring books, and markers to the foster care homes as part of Operation Cooperation. The program concluded each day with structured basketball drills and games in efforts to promote healthy living, social development, and life skills and values learned through sports.

Following the Nairobi United Ballers program, UIP hosted a brief introductory session of UIP at the Baracka Oontoyie Secondary School, a Catholic Girls’ Boarding School 50 km outside of Nairobi in the Rift Valley. The school hosts 360 girls, many from the Maasai community who have been rescued from ‘early marriages’ in efforts to continue their secondary education despite their inability to afford tuition. For $500 USD per year, [that’s $42 USD per month or $1.35 USD per day, which is less then the price of a cup of Dunkin Donuts Coffee] you can give a high need girl a quality high school education- covering tuition, room, and board. This gift will set the foundation for her life, allowing her to unleash her potential and express her creativity. For more information on how to become a sponsor, please email us at info@unitedinitiatives.org subject “Baracka School”, or call 973-220-5630. Donations can also be made via the “Invest” link through PayPal. Again, Thank You for investing in a higher purpose!