When 19-year-old Stephane Kulimushi looks around the basketball court in Kampala where he trains young refugees, he sees more than players.
He sees young people who, like him, arrived in Uganda after fleeing insecurity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Many are trying to continue school, find opportunities and build a future in a place where daily life can be difficult.
Stephane knows how easy it can be for young refugees to lose direction. "When arriving here as a refugee, I found many challenges," he said. "I saw how easy it is for a young refugee to lose control of his future."
For some, he said, resettlement abroad can feel like the only hope. But that process can take years, sometimes decades. In the meantime, many young people are left waiting, with limited access to education, activities or work.
That realisation led Stephane and his teammates to drive change.
Empowering refugees
In 2020, he founded the Refugee Basketball Academy (RBA), an initiative that empowers refugee and marginalized youth through sports, mentorship and education
He used the entrepreneurship training he received through the Cosmo Foundation to grow a small idea into a programme that has trained more than 100 players.
The academy runs practices, tournaments and mentoring sessions. It also records videos of players to help connect them with schools and other opportunities.
So far, Stephane said, seven young people have received scholarships through the programme.
But for him, the goal is not only to produce strong athletes.
"We do not just build basketball players, we are building leaders," he said.
Full court press
Stephane's own days are full. He wakes up early to train, attends university at Cavendish University, where he studies management and entrepreneurship, and returns to the basketball court later to coach and mentor younger players.
He says the court gives young people structure, confidence and a place to feel part of something. For many refugee children and teenagers who have lived through war or displacement, basketball also offers a rare sense of calm.
"When we are here, we feel peace," he said.
Stephane hopes to expand the academy to other refugee communities and camps in Uganda, so more young people can access training, mentorship and support to stay in school.
Redefining refugee
He also wants refugee youth to see themselves differently, not only as people waiting for help, but as people with skills, ideas and futures worth investing in.
"We are leaving houses," he said of refugees forced to flee. "But we are carrying talents with us."
Passionate about youth leadership and sustainable development, Stephane is committed to contributing to the 2030 Agenda through empowerment, sports and education. Ahead of World Refugee Day , his message is simple: being a refugee should not be seen as the end of someone's dreams.
For Stephane, the basketball court is one place where those dreams can start again.
