Many people use sports to change their own lives, but Omary, Class of 2024, is using basketball to transform others. When Omary made Tanzania鈥檚 U18 National Basketball team in 2023, he couldn鈥檛 stop thinking about all the talented youth who never get the chance to shine.
鈥淲hat about the kids whose potential goes unseen because they lack the chance to show it?鈥� he wondered.
From that thought, the Tanzania Youth Sports Foundation was born. The foundation focuses on using sports as a tool to empower youth from underprivileged communities. Omary鈥檚 monthly program combines intense basketball training with mentorship, life skills, and providing school supplies like pens, pencils, and notebooks, as well as sports gear such as balls, pumps, and nets.
One of the biggest early challenges? Getting coaches to show up consistently. But Omary was determined. Drawing from his experience with national tournaments and past teams, he reached out to former colleagues who shared his passion.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 just looking for coaches. I needed people who believed in shaping young lives,鈥� he says.
Today, with 17 volunteer coaches, Omary trains and mentors young athletes in 11 government schools, combining basketball drills with life skills, mentorship, and school supplies.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 just looking for coaches. I needed people who believed in shaping young lives,鈥� he says.
Some of the coaches that are also who are also St Jude鈥檚 alumni, include Zulfa (Class of 2024), the secretary; Mary (Class of 2025), the mental health mentorship coordinator; Victoria (Class of 2024), who coaches netball and basketball for the girls; and Christopher and Heavenlight, who are still students at St Jude鈥檚 but act as youth representatives during their holiday breaks.
To keep the program alive, Omary has sold fruit shakes, sports gears; anything that will keep the ball bouncing.
鈥淚鈥檝e spent my last coin just to keep this dream alive,鈥� he says.
He has now enrolled in the Incubation and Small Grants Program, where he hopes to strengthen his program management and fundraising skills.
One story fuels him most. Hassan, a Form 3 student he met in 2024. Hassan was talented but drifting toward dropping out. Omary took him under his wing training, mentoring, and showing him 鈥渨hat basketball and life success looked like.鈥� In February 2025, Hassan made the National Basketball team.
After tryouts, Hassan returned in tears.
鈥淏ro, you changed my life,鈥� he told Omary.
Hassan and his team travelled to Rwanda to face the Giants of Africa. While they didn鈥檛 win, Hassan gained so much from the experience he attended training sessions from high performing coaches and made friends with players from other African countries.
Omary鈥檚 dream is to expand to 20 more schools in 2025, register his foundation as an NGO, and build a youth sports park.
鈥淚t all begins with commitment. You don鈥檛 need a big arena, just a vision, a ball, and the courage to keep moving forward,鈥� he says.
Your support makes stories like Omary鈥檚 and Hassan鈥檚 possible. Together, we鈥檙e shaping Tanzania鈥檚 future one game, one goal, one life at a time.
Inspired by these journeys? Help more young St Jude鈥檚 alumni changemakers in Tanzania reach their potential. Your support can make it happen.
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