Ghana girls' basketball helps teens excel athletically and academically

DW (English)

Basketball allows Rita Lamptey to bring her A game to the court and classroom. The 19-year-old could finish school, a rarity for young women in her Ghanaian fishing community.

Transcript

00:00Basketball is more than just a game, it's my passion, my purpose, and a tool for change.

00:08Growing up in Agege, sometimes it's tough for me and also tough for other young kids,

00:14especially girls, because the society don't really think girls can involve themselves in sports.

00:22Rita is hoping to break the mould by finding success in the classroom and on the basketball court.

00:29She wants to help inspire her whole community, but none of that will come easily.

00:44The rooster's crow is the natural alarm clock in Agege, a coastal community in Accra, Ghana.

00:51Early mornings are bustling with activity for the fishermen, students and market.

00:59Nineteen-year-old Rita Lamptey lives in Agege with her father and brother.

01:11Her remaining four siblings reside in a nearby community with their mother.

01:22Getting water is like some meters away from my house.

01:26Access to clean water is a significant obstacle for many communities in Ghana, including Rita's.

01:33Sometimes I do get to school late. Sometimes I also get to school early.

01:37After her chores, Rita heads to school.

01:40She dreams of one day being an English professor, but for now she's one of the first of her siblings on track to finish high school.

01:48In Ghana, many women are married off before turning 18.

01:52More than 40% of those married at an early age lack formal education.

01:57Despite different circumstances, Rita knows she could easily be like one of those girls.

02:03I'm out here with my friends, and then come to think of it, those are my community that don't have the chance to come to school.

02:13And then due to that, they get pregnant at an early age.

02:19Whenever I think about it, I'm like, God, some of us need to bring the opportunities out for these girls.

02:28And then me having this opportunity, I think when I grow further, I also give these opportunities to other girls in my community.

02:37After a long day at school, Rita returns home and quickly prepares for her basketball training.

02:44She's determined to continue improving her game.

02:47Basketball has helped motivate her in the classroom, and she sees the sport as a way to bring positive change to her community.

02:56Joining the Dunk basketball team helped change her life.

03:01When I went to school, I saw these guys playing, and I was like, okay, then basketball is a nice game.

03:07There is good communication, there is teamwork, so I need to join this game.

03:12And I went, I told them I wanted to play, they started training me.

03:15And later, one of them told me there is a team called Dunk.

03:18Dunk, which stands for Developing Unity, Nurturing Knowledge, was founded in 2010.

03:25It's a non-profit organization that aims to empower at-risk children and youth in underserved communities in Ghana

03:32through the transformative power of sports with a focus on basketball.

03:37Today, Rita's here to join Coach Mo for personal training.

03:43Okay, so Rita, the last time when you were playing the game, I observed you were a bit weak with the left hand.

03:48So today, we're going to work on the left hand.

03:50So I will demonstrate, and then you try to do the same thing.

03:54Alright?

03:55And every time you have the ball, remember, you need to stay low.

03:58So if I'm here, I catch the ball, this position all the time, because that's how you play basketball, from low to high.

04:05Alright?

04:06So I have the ball now.

04:07First, jab, attack, cross, finish.

04:14Yeah?

04:15Remember, we're working on the left hand.

04:17It's going to be difficult, but we keep trying.

04:19Let's go.

04:20Jab, stay low.

04:22Good.

04:23Go.

04:25You can just tell, like, it's somebody who has seen a lot of struggle,

04:29so she really is trying to push herself out of that struggle.

04:33You can see the way she talks, the way she plays, the way she socializes.

04:38Life at home hasn't been easy for Rita.

04:41Though tonight her mother is visiting for dinner, her family isn't always together.

04:46Rita's parents are divorced, leading to financial struggles as they both face uncertainty at work.

04:53This situation has placed a heavy burden on Rita, navigating between parents for support.

05:00Yeah, I wasn't actually staying with them, though.

05:03I was staying with the cousin.

05:05But when I came back, I realized they were not together anymore.

05:08So I tried my best to bring them together, but it didn't work.

05:13If I need something, I go to my mom.

05:15If my dad doesn't understand something, I just explain it to my mom.

05:19Then my mom comes to explain it to my dad.

05:21Then he gets it, and he's like, okay.

05:23Then I get what they're saying.

05:25Then that's it.

05:27With their father struggling to make ends meet and earning less than $100 a month as a carpenter,

05:33basic necessities become a luxury.

05:36This constant financial strain serves as a driving force for Rita

05:41to excel in both her education and basketball career.

05:47Rita and her brother do their best in school, despite their difficult financial reality.

05:58There was an instance where I had to go back to school.

06:01And I didn't have a bag.

06:03My shoes were spoiled.

06:05Yeah, just two things.

06:07So I had to get a bag and a shoe.

06:10Without that, I can't go to school.

06:12So I had to tell my dad.

06:14And my dad was like, there's nothing going on.

06:16There's no money.

06:17And by then, the economy was very hard.

06:20So I had to go to my coach, tell them.

06:23And they were like, oh, okay.

06:25So we can help.

06:26To the extent that they had to give me their own bags.

06:48In addition to lending a hand to players like Rita during tough moments,

06:53Dunk focuses on merging basketball with education for youth in need.

07:00Here, Rita gets extracurricular educational support to keep her on track at school.

07:07So if I want to write, for us as an institution,

07:11it's very important that whatever we do on the court,

07:14we can also come to the classroom and also exhibit our educational side.

07:20I think we want to avoid a situation that we have kids who are good on the basketball court,

07:25but then in their classroom, they are falling behind.

07:28So it's very important that it goes hand in hand.

07:32Libraries and every Dunk Center make that a reality.

07:36Only youth who participate in skills training and educational classes at the library

07:42are permitted to take part in basketball practice.

07:45This has had a big impact on Rita,

07:48not only helping her focus on her schooling,

07:51but also helping to lend broader stability.

07:57I'm very happy I have come this far,

08:01because without Dunk, I don't think I would be where I am.

08:05I would probably be part of this teenage pregnancy or taking drugs,

08:11because it's not been easy.

08:14As important as the education is,

08:17a big part of the draw is, of course, the basketball.

08:23Today's the final training session before an upcoming game.

08:29Ask for the ball. Good job.

08:34One. Go. Ask for the ball.

08:38Nice run, Ella.

08:40As you all know, we are playing Dunk Angels in Jamestown tomorrow.

08:45Are we ready for that match?

08:47I can't hear you. Are we ready?

08:50Despite facing her own challenges,

08:53Rita remains dedicated to supporting other young women.

08:57Through regular walks in her neighborhood,

09:00she actively engages with the youth,

09:03extending a helping hand to those in her community.

09:11This also provides Rita with an opportunity to reflect.

09:20There is this case of teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and others.

09:25So, with the help of sports,

09:28your mind is always like, I have to go to the basketball court.

09:32There is no time for you to be like,

09:34I have to go to the boy who is always calling me,

09:37and be like, you have to come to us.

09:41Which means Rita doesn't just spend tons of time playing basketball,

09:45she also loves to watch it.

09:47She does her best to model her game off of her favorite player,

09:51Aja Wilson from the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

09:59She is always at the center, or sometimes at the sideline.

10:05When she gets the chance to shoot the ball, she shoots it.

10:08Dunk has three locations,

10:10and through further partnerships with schools,

10:13works with thousands of young people.

10:21Today is a highlight, with Rita's Agege team

10:24heading across Accra's coast to Jamestown,

10:27where they'll face off against another Dunk squad.

10:39Hands up, hands up.

10:51Rita shows off her skills early on, opening the scoring.

11:02In the end, the Agege side came out on top.

11:08Our score was 925.

11:10We did our best, because whenever we played,

11:12it was quite challenging, but today we won.

11:15Basketball has helped Rita grow,

11:18and helps her pursue an education and a brighter future.

11:22But she realizes how rare that can be in her community.

11:29Sometimes in my spare time, I go to the seaside,

11:32and see young boys and young girls.

11:34And then with the boys, they go for the fishing.

11:36And then when they are back, you see young girls,

11:38as early as 15 years, trying to take their fish

11:42and go and sell it in the market.

11:44And these people are kind of deprived from education.

11:48And I think when education is added to these people,

11:51their lives, they will do better than just fishing.

11:54And I think when I get an opportunity to change this,

11:57I will really change it. I will.

12:00Thanks to her efforts,

12:02Rita looks well on her way to making that difference.

12:10What are sports all about?

12:14Winning?

12:15Fighting?

12:16Scoring?

12:20We say they're about never giving up.

12:24Sports Life, every weekend on DW.

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