Omary’s full court press for change

Many people use sports to change their own lives, but Omary, Class of 2024, is using basketball to transform others. When Omary made Tanzania’s U18 National Basketball team in 2023, he couldn’t stop thinking about all the talented youth who never get the chance to shine.

“What about the kids whose potential goes unseen because they lack the chance to show it?” 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’s 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.

“I wasn’t just looking for coaches. I needed people who believed in shaping young lives,” 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.

“I wasn’t just looking for coaches. I needed people who believed in shaping young lives,” he says.

Some of the coaches that are also who are also St Jude’s 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’s 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.

“I’ve spent my last coin just to keep this dream alive,” 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 “what basketball and life success looked like.” In February 2025, Hassan made the National Basketball team.

After tryouts, Hassan returned in tears.

“Bro, you changed my life,” he told Omary.

Hassan and his team travelled to Rwanda to face the Giants of Africa. While they didn’t 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’s dream is to expand to 20 more schools in 2025, register his foundation as an NGO, and build a youth sports park.

“It all begins with commitment. You don’t need a big arena, just a vision, a ball, and the courage to keep moving forward,” he says.

Your support makes stories like Omary’s and Hassan’s possible. Together, we’re shaping Tanzania’s future one game, one goal, one life at a time.