Face List Awards 2017
During the Pan – African Weekend in NYC, the Face List Awards organized by Face 2 Face Africa were celebrated on July 15th. The organization presented Serge Ibaka and the Serge Ibaka Foundation with the Humanitarian of the Year award and Serge himself received the award. “It’s an honor to be here with you all and to receive this award. I take the work with the Foundation very seriously because I never forget where I come from and I know how difficult it can be to grow up with difficulties in Africa“, Serge said. The award was presented by Sherrie Deans, Executive director of the NBPA (NBA’s Players association)’s Foundation. Deans praised the work done by the Foundation in Africa and Ibaka’s dedication in his homeland. Ibaka is currently on the board of the NBPA Foundation and both entities are working together on projects in Africa.
Dreams Academy Camp Brazzaville 2017
In his hometown of Brazzaville, Serge Ibaka hosted the Dreams Academy basketball camp for another summer. The Makélékélé gym was the location for the camp, part of the Cowbell Ibaka Games event. Ibaka spent time with the participating kids, who listened to the motivating stories by the Raptors player. The coaches, who share the same basketball courts with Ibaka in their youth, motivated the players to take advantage of the opportunity to practice with and in front of an NBA player and a local idol.
Cowbell Ibaka Games 2017
Connecting with the congolese youth and inspiring them, and celebrating congolese culture using basketball and music. Those are the goals of the Ibaka Games, which were held for the fourth straight year in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo’s capital and Serge Ibaka’s hometown. In partnership with Cowbell Milk, the event hosted boys and girls from three to eighteen years old and public from all ages.
The event consisted of different activities, outdoor and indoor, at the Makélékélé sports center. Outside, the youngest children from different orphanages participated in an initiation basketball clinic with Serge Ibaka. It was him, too, that greeted the directors of each institution. They received the symbolic bags of dairy product that illustrated the contribution that they will receive during the whole year. Still outside, there were dance, music and art performances building up the anticipation of the main event inside the gym.
In the morning and in the previous day, a selection of kids, fourteen to eighteen years old, had participated in a Serge Ibaka Dreams Academy basketball camp. In the afternoon, the same kids played an exhibition game for the crowd, that filled the stands in an unprecedented way in the city. Almost 4.000 congolese where in attendance. Musical performances and a dunk contest followed and preceded the main event, the celebrity game with Serge Ibaka himself and guests like profesional basketball players Christian Eyenga and Chanel Mokango, or congolese comedias like Saï Saï and Esobe. The crowd cheered and experienced an event rarely seen in the Congo. It was a big celebration of african culture and sports that will for sure have another chapter next summer.
Back home with Cowbell
For the second straight year Cowbell Milk was our partner in Brazzaville, Serge Ibaka’s hometown and the capital of the Republic of Congo. The partnership is solidified and growing, and the charitable plan put together is having a major impact during the whole year. Working closely with orphanages and youth centers, the partnership provides dairy products on a monthly basis, satisfying a basic need for the children living in these institutions.
In June 2017, the Foundation’s expedition visited three centers (Ecole Speciale, La Bonne Semence, Espace Jarrot)and greeted 4 more (Notre Damme de Nazareth, Coeur Immacule de Marie, St Joseph Gaston Celeste, Soeur Dorcas) during the anual sports and culture event Ibaka Games, delivering product and spending time with the dedicated people in charge of the institutions. Bigger plans to develop their facilities are in the works as the partnership with Cowbell grows.
Inspired in Kimbondo
The Kimbondo Pediatrics, Orphanage and Hospital in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, has a special place in the Foundation’s heart. The connection that was made in the summer of 2014 with Father Hugo, his staff of nurses and collaborators and, specially the almost a thousand boys and girls that live there, made a lasting impression. This is why for the fourth year the Foundation collaborated with Kimbondo.
Once again, the boys and girls greeted the expedition led by Serge Ibaka with enthusiasm and joy. The kids received gifts and sang, danced and played with the expedition. Father Hugo proved to be once again a great inspiration in helping others, showing humility and dedication to a cause that none one should forget. In communication with Father during the year, the Foundation made sure to provide the supplies that were needed. It won’t be the last time.
Serge Ibaka elected to the NBPA Foundation Board
The NBPA Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA), welcomed Serge Ibaka to its Board of Directors this month. According to the NBPA Foundation, the appointment highlights Ibaka’s personal journey as one that has inspired many players and others while it also speaks directly to the philanthropic role of sports in society.
Sherrie Deans, Executive Director of the NBPA Foundation said, “Serge’s insights and his accomplishments in international charity and philanthropy complement the wide-ranging work being done by our board president, Chris Paul and vice president, LeBron James. With Chris, LeBron and Serge on our board, we have an even stronger team to help us support and develop the charitable work of our players in the US and around the world.”
Ibaka with (L to R) Michele Roberts, Sherrie Deans and Chrysa Chin
Since being drafted in 2008, Ibaka has earned a place among the most recognized players in the NBA. He grew up playing on the courts of Avenir du Rail and Charles de Gaulle park in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. He left at the age of 17 to pursue a professional career, starting in France, then going on to Spain where he was noticed by NBA scouts after standout performances in international showcases. As seen in the acclaimed documentary film series “Son of The Congo,” he is conscious about making his off-court journey a priority when it comes to helping others achieve their highest personal goals Ibaka has made yearly trips home on a mission with the Serge Ibaka Foundation to improve the lives of youth in his hometown and to learn how those improvements can be sustained
Serge Ibaka feels that “it is an honor and a privilege to be part of the board of the NBPA’s Foundation. I take it as an opportunity to learn and help and add as much as I can to the already incredible work done by the Foundation”. Ibaka and the Serge Ibaka Foundation will work to help the NBPA Foundation, now entering its 20th year, expand his mission and reach internationally, specially in Africa.
Ibaka joins current board members Michele Roberts – NBPA Executive Director, Chrysa Chin, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Development, NBPA, and fellow players and longtime philanthropists Chris Paul and Lebron James. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.nbpafoundation.com.
Thanksgiving giveaway
New team, new city, new community. But the goal of giving back stays the same. Right before Thanksgiving, we partnered up with the Orlando Magic and Amway to give away 450 turkeys and Thanksgiving meals to Orlando families. Serge Ibaka delivered the turkeys personally and took time to meet with some of the families. “Thanksgiving is about giving back and I felt like we had to do something in my new community. Sometimes a gesture like this can bring a family together or help a family enjoy a holiday so it’s always worth it to give a hand”, said Serge.
