ANALYSIS: How NBA Africa, AFD program will expand opportunities for children with disabilities

The initiative, supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group in partnership with NBA Africa and implemented by the Kenya Red Cross, aims to expand access to basketball and life-skills training for children with disabilities.

By integrating learners with hearing, visual, and physical impairments into structured sports programmes, the project seeks to ensure that young people of all abilities can benefit from the social and developmental opportunities that sport provides.

The launch represents an important milestone in advancing inclusion in sports and education.

The disability inclusion component builds on the existing Basketball Experience programme by introducing adapted basketball sessions designed specifically for children with disabilities.

Through these sessions, participants are expected to develop confidence, teamwork, discipline, and leadership skills while engaging in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Demonstrations during the launch event showed how basketball activities can be adapted to accommodate different physical and sensory needs, highlighting the role of sport as a tool for empowerment and social integration.

The programme will be rolled out across four counties — Nairobi County, Kajiado County, Machakos County and Kiambu County — reaching 32 specialized schools that serve children with disabilities.

In addition to providing opportunities for students, the initiative will equip teachers and coaches with practical tools to conduct inclusive training sessions.

This capacity-building approach is expected to strengthen schools’ ability to support holistic youth development while ensuring that inclusive sports activities continue beyond the duration of the programme.

By embedding inclusive coaching methods within the education system, the programme also aims to encourage broader community acceptance of children with disabilities and highlight their potential to thrive in sports and leadership roles.

The disability inclusion initiative builds on the broader Basketball Experience programme that was launched in July 2024 across 48 schools in Kenya.

With the expansion, the total number of beneficiary schools will increase significantly, eventually reaching 128 institutions after additional schools are incorporated into the programme in 2026.

The initiative also builds on previous engagement activities, including a Junior NBA clinic held in Nairobi in April 2025 that attracted more than 200 participants, among them young people with hearing impairments.

The success of that clinic demonstrated strong interest in inclusive sports programming and helped lay the foundation for the current expansion.

The launch event brought together government officials, development partners, educators, and community leaders to highlight the role of sport in empowering young people and fostering social inclusion.

Among those in attendance were Fikirini Jackobs Katoib Kahindi, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy; Arnaud Suquet, Ambassador of France to Kenya; Anne‑Gaël Chapuis, Director of AFD for Kenya; Michael Finley, Senior Director and Country Operations Lead for NBA Kenya; Eluid Wambua, Assistant Director for Quality Assurance at the Ministry of Education; Ahmed Idris, Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross; and Janet Sereu.

Speaking during the event, AFD Director for Kenya Anne-Gaël Chapuis emphasized that the initiative reflects a shared commitment among partners to make sport accessible to everyone.

“The launch of the Disability Inclusion component of the Basketball Experience programme reflects our shared commitment to making sport accessible to all.

"Together with the NBA and our Kenyan partners, AFD is proud to support an initiative that uses sport not only to develop talent, but also to promote inclusion, confidence and opportunity for young people across Kenya,” she said.

The initiative underscores the growing recognition of sport as a tool for development.

By combining sports training with life-skills education and inclusive practices, the programme aims to empower young people while promoting equality and participation across communities.

If successfully implemented, the disability inclusion component of the Basketball Experience programme could serve as a model for how partnerships between development agencies, sports organizations, and local institutions can help create more inclusive opportunities for young people across Kenya.