In the period from 2014 to 2018, ISA´s ambassador Jesper Jobse, Co-founder of 3×3 UNITES, has travelled to Mali several times to educate youth according to the 3×3 leader methodology. Jesper looks back on his experiences in Mali and on how the programme has impacted young people’s lives and their communities.
The programme
Commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Embassy, ISA has been active in Bamako, Mali since 2014. Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. By using sports ISA has set up a sustainable programme to help meet the social challenges that the local population is faced with. `Because Mali is a real basketball country, ISA asked me to collaborate on this project`, Jesper says. In Mali they now have fully embraced 3×3 basketball. 3×3 is used as a tool to bring people together and has the power to help build communities and teaches people to step up and take ownership. We really can make a difference here and impact the local population.
“Of course there are quite a few differences between the circumstances of leaders in The Netherlands and in Mali, but their DNA is the same. They all share a passion for basketball and are motivated to make a change in their community.”
The differences between the impact of leaders in Mali and The Netherlands
“What I saw, was that the power of sports in a country like Mali is way stronger, compared to the Netherlands. Probably because sports offer the opportunity for young people to escape from the day to day reality. Thanks to the fun and challenges that sport offers and the moments of success they experience, youth can get a more optimistic view of their future and create a better perspective for themselves.
Overall, I think the leaders in Mali create the same impact as they do in the Netherlands. Although there are many differences in their circumstances and challenges, their DNA is the same. They all share the passion for basketball and are motivated to make a change in their community.
In the Netherlands, the youth has the luxury to have many ways in which they can keep themselves entertained. Dutch Leaders need to encourage young people to choose sports over distractions like their phones or Netflix. In Mali, there are way less things to do for youth, which is why they really want to participate in sports. The challenge in Mali is the lack of civic space. Over the past 5 years, we have seen the strong commitment from community members, coaches and youth to create safe spaces for the youth and children in the community. Recognising the effort and the commitment of community members, ISA and the 3×3 organisation decided to invest in a 3×3 basketball court for the Bamako community. Important prerequisite for the investment was, that the court should be developed, built and maintained by the community itself.
The programme´s legacy
From 2014 to 2018, we have done a yearly training programme in various locations across Mali. In total we trained 60 coaches, who impact the lives of hundreds of young people on a daily basis. Because there are hardly any clubs or associations in Mali, those activities on open playing fields are very important. Besides this, the coaches offer youth a save environment where they can express their emotions and insecurities. This isn’t a usual thing in their culture, but has been created thanks to the programme.
Throughout the years, a close community has been formed, supported on a daily basis by the local ISA office in Mali. The different neighbourhoods are not only working individually, the coaches also meet each other and collaborate to exchange experiences and knowledge and to organise tournaments. In this way our joint forces work to grow our impact on youth and their communities. And sports remain the main resource to create a better future for youth.”