IAMGOLD and Giants of Africa Open Basketball Court in Burkina Faso

It’s official! IAMGOLD and Giants of Africa recently unveiled a new basketball court in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The new court, which was inaugurated earlier this October, is located right on the campus of University of Ouagadougou — the country’s main university — and seeks to enhance the lives of many students for years to come.

 

 

The construction of this court is part of IAMGOLD’s four-year partnership with Giants of Africa. Signed in 2021, the program includes the construction of four basketball courts in IAMGOLD’s host countries of Burkina Faso and Senegal as well as the organization of a variety of multi-day basketball and life-skills camps. The partnership aims to encourage the development of youth through the power of basketball. This court is the final one in the partnership agreement.

 

The unveiling ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including IAMGOLD officials, such as Bruno Lemelin, Chief Operating Officer, and Gilles Ferlatte, Vice President Operations.

 

 

What they said

 

“As a major private employer in Burkina Faso, our influence goes beyond the economic sphere. We see ourselves as part of the community and demonstrate our commitment through meaningful projects such as this one. This court is the third basketball court that we have built in Burkina in partnership with Giants of Africa, and we’re very proud of this collaboration as it will help support youth empowerment.”

 

Tidiane Barry, General Manager, Essakane Mine (Burkina Faso), IAMGOLD

 

“Building mutually beneficial partnerships with our host communities is at the core of what we do at IAMGOLD. It is important for us to both be a responsible player in our industry and give back to the community.”

 

Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer, IAMGOLD

 

 

About IAMGOLD’s involvement

 

This partnership is an integral part of IAMGOLD’s comprehensive community development program, which aims to contribute tangible benefits to our host communities by fostering economic growth, improving access to health and education, and investing in sport and cultural projects.

 

IAMGOLD’s investment with Giants of Africa totals $1 million over four years.

 

About Giants of Africa

 

Established in 2003 by NBA Champion and Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President, Masai Ujiri, Giants of Africa has been partnering with companies such as IAMGOLD since that time.

 

To date, over 6,000 youth have participated in basketball camps and 36 basketball courts have been built across 10 African countries. In 2021, Giants of Africa made a commitment to build a total of 100 basketball courts throughout the continent.