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When 19-year-old Stephane Kulimushi looks around the basketball court in Kampala where he trains young refugees, he sees more than players.<\/p>\nWhen 19-year-old Stephane Kulimushi looks around the basketball court in Kampala where he trains young refugees, he sees more than players.<\/p>\n
He sees young people who, like him, arrived in Uganda after fleeing insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Many are trying to continue school, find opportunities and build a future in a place where daily life can be difficult.<\/p>\n
Stephane knows how easy it can be for young refugees to lose direction. \u201cWhen arriving here as a refugee, I found many challenges,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw how easy it is for a young refugee to lose control of his future.\u201d<\/p>\n
For some, he said, resettlement abroad can feel like the only hope. But that process can take years, sometimes decades. In the meantime, many young people are left waiting, with limited access to education, activities or work.<\/p>\n
That realisation led Stephane and his teammates to drive change.<\/p>\n
In 2024, he founded the Refugee Basketball Academy (RBA), an initiative that empowers refugee and marginalized youth through sports, mentorship and education<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Fahad Ssimbwa Stephane Kulimushi (in black shirt) founded the Refugee Basketball Academy in 2020. <\/p>\n
He used the entrepreneurship training he received through the Cosmo Foundation to grow a small idea into a programme that has trained more than 100 players.<\/p>\n
The academy runs practices, tournaments and mentoring sessions. It also records videos of players to help connect them with schools and other opportunities.<\/p>\n
So far, Stephane said, seven young people have received scholarships through the programme.<\/p>\n
But for him, the goal is not only to produce strong athletes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not just build basketball players, we are building leaders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u00a9 Refugee Basketball Academy Refugee Basketball Academy’s players. <\/p>\n
Stephane\u2019s own days are full. He wakes up early to train, attends university at Cavendish University, where he studies management and entrepreneurship, and returns to the basketball court later to coach and mentor younger players.<\/p>\n
He says the court gives young people structure, confidence and a place to feel part of something. For many refugee children and teenagers who have lived through war or displacement, basketball also offers a rare sense of calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we are here, we feel peace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Stephane hopes to expand the academy to other refugee communities and camps in Uganda, so more young people can access training, mentorship and support to stay in school.<\/p>\n
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He also wants refugee youth to see themselves differently, not only as people waiting for help, but as people with skills, ideas and futures worth investing in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are leaving houses,\u201d he said of refugees forced to flee. \u201cBut we are carrying talents with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passionate about youth leadership and sustainable development, Stephane is committed to contributing to the 2030 Agenda through empowerment, sports and education. Ahead of World Refugee Day, his message is simple: being a refugee should not be seen as the end of someone\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n
For Stephane, the basketball court is one place where those dreams can start again.<\/p>\n