Books and Basketball: Shooting for Success

During my stay in Kicukiro District, I partnered with Eagle View Lodge and Gorilla Home Stay in a bid to give back to the community. The two partners donated books to the Association des Guides du Rwanda (AGR) for the benefit of the youth residing in Gikondo and beyond. Donated titles include Memories, The Akagera Expedition and Six Hours in Accra.

I wrote Memories while stuck at home during the 2020 lockdown, instituted after the outbreak of Covid- 19. It is a recollection of my Temberu Rwanda experiences between 2017 and 2020. The Akagera Expedition highlights my epic adventure inside the home of the Big Five. Six Hours in Accra, on the other hand, is a detailed description of my half-day tour in the capital of Ghana.

After delivering the donations, I spared some time to interact with the beneficiaries and give them words of encouragement. In addition, I answered a myriad of questions about my adventures and what Africa has in store.

Furthermore, I played basketball with the youngsters. The highly competitive game was followed by a shooting contest dubbed "Shooting is the name of the game." The objective of the drill is to demonstrate the need to keep shooting regardless of the outcome.

In real life, we miss some shots and make some. Sometimes we miss several shots in a row. Other times, we go through what we call a "shooting slump." A slump is a prolonged period of subpar performance. Whatever happens, we keep perfecting our craft and don’t stop firing. We don’t shoot 100 percent. We don’t shoot 0 percent either. One thing is certain: We miss all the shots we don’t take.

This was a basketball drill, but its lesson goes beyond the game. The shots we took symbolize job applications, pitch decks, proposals, tender bids, and other forms of presentations. Make or miss, we don’t stop trying. We keep shooting.

In her concluding remarks, Miss Sarah Uwase, Managing Director of Eagle View Lodge, encouraged the beneficiaries to read more. While urging them to take full advantage of free access to AGR’s sports facilities, she also emphasized the importance of using the community center’s library. As the saying goes, reading is to the mind what exercising is to the body.

After covering the three City of Kigali districts, I headed to Rwamagana. My memorable experiences in this enchanting Eastern Province district are shared on this platform.