Standard Bank supports Harlem Globetrotters basketball show session

The event was attended by three members of the professional American basketball team Harlem Globetrotters, famous for their skills in that sport and who have made more than 25 thousand shows in more than 118 countries.

Besides showing to the audience their skills, the trio participated in a basket-throwing challenge, which won against a team with the same number of players from Mozambique.

The three players of the US team, Hoops Green, Zues McClurkin and Anthony Buckets, stayed in the country for a period of 10 days, most of which spent in parts of Gaza province, where World Vision develops its activities in the areas of education, health, sanitation, among others.

According to Eleutério Fenita, director for Children’s Advocacy and Justice of World Vision, “in Gaza, the Harlem Globetrotters saw the improvements we made in recent years in promoting the well-being of children, although many challenges still remain”.

“That was one of the reasons we invited the Harlem Globetrotters to learn about our reality and the challenges we face, such as the high rates of early marriage and early school drop-outs, etc. They will return to their country as ambassadors for the goodwill of the Mozambican child,” explained the director for Children’s Advocacy and Justice from World Vision.

The national director for Sports, Francisco José da Conceição, said that the presence of the Harlem Globetrotters in our country will help spread the message about the need for society to promote and defend children’s rights.

In addition, Francisco José da Conceição emphasized the importance of involving sports players, in this case the Harlem Globetrotters, in this initiative, which will “contribute to the reduction of dropout rates and early marriage in communities”.

Harlem Globetrotters spokesman, Anthony Buckets, mentioned the need to involve all segments of Mozambican society for the success of this initiative. “Each of us can make a contribution in the fight against early marriage and other evils that jeopardize the growth of children”, said Anthony Buckets, who made an appeal to government entities, and others, to invest in the massification of sports through the construction of sport infrastructures in the communities.

“Children should do what they like, without any pressure. Building a sport infrastructure, for example, is a way of keeping them away from drugs, alcohol and other problems”, said Harlem Globetrotters spokesperson.

It should be noted that this event was organized with the support of a number of partners, including Standard Bank, which has children at the centre of its social responsibility activities, which is why it has supported this initiative, that focuses on the humanitarian actions for disadvantaged children.