For Immediate Release
February 2, 2022
Juba, South Sudan—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching the South Sudan Youth Camp Activity with the Luol Deng Foundation, which will harness the power of sports to strengthen social cohesion among South Sudan’s diverse communities, develop life skills, and increase resilience among South Sudanese youth aged 13-29.
The activity, which will be conducted through two residential camps, will teach youth basketball alongside critical life skills such as conflict prevention, mediation, and healthy habits; raise awareness about harmful social issues such as gender-based violence; and encourage youth to seek ways to create positive change in their communities.
“Sports build shared identity and fellowship among diverse communities, through shared experiences, empowering youth from conflict-affected communities to build positive relationships and space for dialogue,” said USAID South Sudan Mission Director Haven Cruz-Hubbard.
A call for applications from interested youth participants will be announced through radio and other means. Participants will be selected through a competitive selection process.
The Luol Deng Foundation founded by the former NBA player Luol Deng, is a South Sudanese non-profit organization that uses basketball and education as tools to give hope to all South Sudanese in Africa and around the world.
