Kwaku Festival: sports, culture and connection

'We started with dynamic stretching exercises, then did lay-ups and shooting drills and ended with mutual games,' says Quincy Winter, coordinator at 3X3 Unites. 'We wanted to teach life skills and introduce the youngsters to 3x3 basketball in an approachable way. And it was nice to see that even bystanders wanted to throw a ball at one point.'

According to Quincy, it was not about who scored the most points; he wanted the participants to have a fun afternoon and to learn that 3x3 basketball is never about “me” but about “us”. 'You do it as a team. You have to help each other, stay positive towards each other. Even when things are down for a while.'

Stephen Volante Sarpong was one of the 3X3 Leaders who helped with the basketball camp and clinics. 'It was really super fun,' he says. 'The kids were all super enthusiastic and along the side the parents were cheering along. There was also music on all the time, which created a lovely atmosphere. The vibe was top notch.'

On Sunday, sports were again an important part of the Kwaku Festival. This time there was a multi-sport day, where young and old could do a different sport every 20 minutes, including football, basketball and running. 'The energy and fun was bursting from it,' said Mark Schuurman, co-founder 3X3 Unites.

According to him, being introduced to different sports contributed to the sense of inclusion. 'For example, you can be very good at basketball. But in football or running, the roles can be reversed again. So everyone can show that he or she is good at something. That contributes to inclusiveness.'

In addition, on Sunday, as part of the Rabo Business Beats programme, there was a talk by Rabobank and 3X3 Unites that discussed how 3x3 basketball on the square can help you grow from the street to your own peak. And how sport, culture and entrepreneurship go hand in hand.

Mark Schuurman took the stage with three 3X3 entrepreneurial youngsters. They shared how they have risen from their neighbourhood: by organising their own activities and projects, setting up a clothing line or simply being a role model that motivates others. Their stories showed how entrepreneurship often starts with showing guts and taking responsibility for your own dreams.

One of the enterprising young people was Shaïl Wijdenbosch. He launched his own clothing brand Starborn early this year. 'It was new to me. I'm normally someone who likes to stay in the background,' he says. 'But I also really enjoyed talking about how I started, what my goal is and what my brand stands for.'

By telling his story, Shaïl hopes he can also inspire other young people to pursue their dreams or develop themselves. 'Everyone is different and has their own background. But in the end, we all strive for the same thing: to be the best version of yourself.'

In addition, 3X3 Leader Assala Driouichi spoke about the power of girls. 'The strength of girls and women is that they generally have different qualities and character traits than men. It is important to have diverse qualities if you want to achieve a certain goal within an organisation, group or project.'

She was of the opinion that girls too need to show guts, be challenged by other women to be entrepreneurial and voice their opinions because they add value. 'We too can roll up our sleeves and make any decisions.'