Forest Whitaker’s NGO and NBA Africa build basketball court in Cape Town suburb

Award-winning international actor and WPDI CEO and Founder, Forest Whitaker, NBA Africa CEO, Victor Williams, together with the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews, oversaw the handover as members of the community gathered to take pictures and shoot hoops with fully-kitted young basketball players from Athlone which is a suburb in Cape Town.

humanitarian engagement

Forest Whitaker’s artistic career sharply resonates with his humanitarian engagement. In 2012, he founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), an NGO which acts in Uganda, South Sudan, Mexico, South Africa, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, and even Los Angeles.

‘We seek to offer basketball as part of our Peace Through Sports Program. We will soon be developing the community centre here as well,’ said Forest Whitaker.

The existing community centre in Bridgetown will be bolstered to now offer free computer training, psychosocial well-being, peacebuilding and conflict resolution as well as business and entrepreneurship skills. The centre will offer everything for free, including ablution facilities that are needed for the basketball court that was handed over to the City this week.

recruited and trained

Through the basketball court, 20 junior teams from the Athlone and surrounding areas or surrounds will be recruited and trained. These players will also be given the access to the computer and life skills training.

‘We hope we can continue our long-standing relationship with the City of Cape Town as we both share the same goal and passion in improving the lives of our communities,’ concluded Whitaker.

The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) was founded in 2012 by award-winning actor, social activist, SDGs Advocate, and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation Forest Whitaker. It aims to promote the values of peace, reconciliation and social development within communities impacted by conflict and violence.

grab every single opportunity that comes your way

‘The people of Cape Town are hungry for the game of basketball, this court is your court. The NBA helps to grow the game so that boys and girls can play the sport and also learn values that will help them transform themselves and society. We are very pleased to bring this game to Bridgetown in Athlone, said NBA Africa CEO, Victor Williams.

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In a statement, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning, Alderman Eddie Andrews said, ‘I want to particularly address that youth here; if you do not grab hold of such opportunities you will remain a statistic in this country. You must make the choice to grab every single opportunity that comes your way. A child in sport is a child out of court.  You do not have to be a member of any of these gangs or sell substances or rob people. You can choose this sports path and you will reap the rewards in the long term. We would like to thank Mr Whitaker, through WPDI, and NBA Africa for partnering with the City on this initiative and we hope that this basketball court will go a long way in developing our youth.’