KIGALI, RWANDA – July 5th, 2025 –Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR), in collaboration with Let It Fly Classic, Our Past Initiative, and Zaria Court, successfully hosted the inaugural Shooting Touch x Let It Fly Basketball Tournament earlier this month. The event featured Shooting Touch’s top athletes and brought together over 300 community members to celebrate and advance education and opportunity through sport. 

Held at the new Zaria Court in Kigali, the Shooting Touch x Let It Fly tournament featured U16 and U18 basketball competitions for both girls and boys, along with prize contests, music and dance  performances, and fashion/art pop-ups.With a focus on unlocking athletic scholarships and team placements for Shooting Touch’s talented youth basketball players, the event aimed to increase upward mobility opportunities for Rwandans through sport.This event mobilized people of all ages to champion young talent from Kigali and beyond.  

A total of 64 youth from Rwanda’s Eastern Province - all participants of Shooting Touch’s daily sport-for-development programming - journeyed to Kigali for a day of friendly competition, community building, and a chance at receiving an athletic scholarship from the numerous talent detection scouts in attendance. Four games were held featuring U16 Girls, U18 Girls, U16 Boys, and U18 Boys teams,composed of top players from the six sectors where STR operates:Mayange, Rilima, Mukarange, Nyamirama, Rukara,and Rwinkwavu. In addition to the exciting and competitive games, four Most Valuable Players were selected and awarded RWF 500,000 towards educational support, sponsored by Kyle Umemba, Co-Founder of Let It Fly Classic 
(Boston, MA). 

MVP winners included: Mutesi Aline from Mukarange/Kayonza district (U16 Girls),Niyonkuru Eric – Nyamirama/Kayonza district (U16 Boys),Tumukunde Sandrine – Rilima/Bugesera district (U18 Girls) and Tuyizere Aaron – Rukara/Kayonza district (U18 Boys) 

Shooting Touch Alumni and recent Most Valuable Player of the Rwanda Professional League, Brigitte Nibishaka; recounting her basketball origin story with Shooting Touch in Rukara, Rwanda, she encouraged every young participant in attendance that 
day to work hard and continue to chase their dreams.  

STR’s Community Engagement Coordinator for Kayonza District, Denise Uwase, emphasized the importance of the event and the work of STR in NST2: “For over 14 years, Shooting Touch has worked in Rwanda’s rural communities — from Nyamirama and Rwinkwavu to Mukarange, Rukara, Mayange, and Rilima. Through sport, we have provided youth and women with access to health education, mentorship, leadership training, and pathways to a brighter future.

Our work directly contributes to the goals of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) — especially in the areas of human capital development, gender equity, and youth empowerment.We know that when we invest in the potential of our young people, we invest in the future of this country. And that investment is 
paying off.” 

Recognized by the Republic of Rwanda as a certified international non-governmental organization and working collaboratively with Rwanda’s Ministries of Health and Sport, Shooting Touch uses the mobilizing power of basketball to bridge health and opportunity gaps for youth and women facing social and economic inequalities in rural areas of Rwanda.  
 
A Celebration of Rwandan Sport, Culture, and Entertainment The Shooting Touch x Let It Fly Basketball Tournament also served as a vibrant showcase of Rwanda’s rich culture and creative expression—uniting sports with local music, dance, and visual arts to celebrate the spirit and diverse talent of the country. 

Local brands such as Lunaroot, Bone, Native, GAË2AN, and artist Manishart displayed and sold their work, gaining new supporters in the process. 

Top artists like Shemi, Bruce The First, and dancers from the renowned Sherrie Silver Foundation energized the crowd with live performances. MC Rocky.Try kept the crowd engaged, while DJ Ira and DJ Niny brought the vibes with their musical sets. 

These performances highlighted the deep connection between sport and culture—demonstrating how Shooting Touch values and nurtures this intersection in all of its 
work. 

Impact at a Glance:64youth athletes competed,300+ community members engaged,5 local small businesses displayed  (Lunaroot, Native, Bone, GAË2AN, Manishart),5 musical artists performed (Shemi, Bruce the First, DJ Ira, DJ Niny, Sherrie Silver Foundation) and FERWABA Technical Director, National Team and Secondary School coaches attended.

KIGALI, RWANDA – July 5th, 2025 –Shooting Touch Rwanda (STR), in collaboration with Let It Fly Classic, Our Past Initiative, and Zaria Court, successfully hosted the inaugural Shooting Touch x Let It Fly Basketball Tournament earlier this month. The event featured Shooting Touch’s top athletes and brought together over 300 community members to celebrate and advance education and opportunity through sport. 

Held at the new Zaria Court in Kigali, the Shooting Touch x Let It Fly tournament featured U16 and U18 basketball competitions for both girls and boys, along with prize contests, music and dance  performances, and fashion/art pop-ups.With a focus on unlocking athletic scholarships and team placements for Shooting Touch’s talented youth basketball players, the event aimed to increase upward mobility opportunities for Rwandans through sport.This event mobilized people of all ages to champion young talent from Kigali and beyond.  

A total of 64 youth from Rwanda’s Eastern Province - all participants of Shooting Touch’s daily sport-for-development programming - journeyed to Kigali for a day of friendly competition, community building, and a chance at receiving an athletic scholarship from the numerous talent detection scouts in attendance. Four games were held featuring U16 Girls, U18 Girls, U16 Boys, and U18 Boys teams,composed of top players from the six sectors where STR operates:Mayange, Rilima, Mukarange, Nyamirama, Rukara,and Rwinkwavu. In addition to the exciting and competitive games, four Most Valuable Players were selected and awarded RWF 500,000 towards educational support, sponsored by Kyle Umemba, Co-Founder of Let It Fly Classic 
(Boston, MA). 

MVP winners included: Mutesi Aline from Mukarange/Kayonza district (U16 Girls),Niyonkuru Eric – Nyamirama/Kayonza district (U16 Boys),Tumukunde Sandrine – Rilima/Bugesera district (U18 Girls) and Tuyizere Aaron – Rukara/Kayonza district (U18 Boys) 

Shooting Touch Alumni and recent Most Valuable Player of the Rwanda Professional League, Brigitte Nibishaka; recounting her basketball origin story with Shooting Touch in Rukara, Rwanda, she encouraged every young participant in attendance that 
day to work hard and continue to chase their dreams.  

STR’s Community Engagement Coordinator for Kayonza District, Denise Uwase, emphasized the importance of the event and the work of STR in NST2: “For over 14 years, Shooting Touch has worked in Rwanda’s rural communities — from Nyamirama and Rwinkwavu to Mukarange, Rukara, Mayange, and Rilima. Through sport, we have provided youth and women with access to health education, mentorship, leadership training, and pathways to a brighter future.

Our work directly contributes to the goals of Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) — especially in the areas of human capital development, gender equity, and youth empowerment.We know that when we invest in the potential of our young people, we invest in the future of this country. And that investment is 
paying off.” 

Recognized by the Republic of Rwanda as a certified international non-governmental organization and working collaboratively with Rwanda’s Ministries of Health and Sport, Shooting Touch uses the mobilizing power of basketball to bridge health and opportunity gaps for youth and women facing social and economic inequalities in rural areas of Rwanda.  
 
A Celebration of Rwandan Sport, Culture, and Entertainment The Shooting Touch x Let It Fly Basketball Tournament also served as a vibrant showcase of Rwanda’s rich culture and creative expression—uniting sports with local music, dance, and visual arts to celebrate the spirit and diverse talent of the country. 

Local brands such as Lunaroot, Bone, Native, GAË2AN, and artist Manishart displayed and sold their work, gaining new supporters in the process. 

Top artists like Shemi, Bruce The First, and dancers from the renowned Sherrie Silver Foundation energized the crowd with live performances. MC Rocky.Try kept the crowd engaged, while DJ Ira and DJ Niny brought the vibes with their musical sets. 

These performances highlighted the deep connection between sport and culture—demonstrating how Shooting Touch values and nurtures this intersection in all of its 
work. 

Impact at a Glance:64youth athletes competed,300+ community members engaged,5 local small businesses displayed  (Lunaroot, Native, Bone, GAË2AN, Manishart),5 musical artists performed (Shemi, Bruce the First, DJ Ira, DJ Niny, Sherrie Silver Foundation) and FERWABA Technical Director, National Team and Secondary School coaches attended.