Author Archives: Adam Hirsch

About Adam Hirsch

Adam is a Development and Communications Associate at PeacePlayers International.
by | February 11, 2013 · 10:00 am

From South Africa to Yemen: Andrew Gordon’s Journey with PeacePlayers

AndrewYemen

Andrew (left) made four trips to Yemen for PeacePlayers International to build a youth sport program for boys and girls

“Aside from the midnight gunshots, I never really felt like there was a threat to me,” former PPI employee, Andrew Gordon, explains as we sit across from each other at the PPI office in Washington, DC. He had come in to prepare for his next trip to Yemen, the fourth and final mission since 2011. Andrew, along with another former PPI alum, Julie Younes, were going to Yemen as part of PPI’s new Technical Assistance Program, a branch of PPI that trains other organizations in the areas of sport for civic engagement, leadership development and conflict transformation. In Yemen, PPI is partnering with AMIDEAST, a U.S. nonprofit that works to strengthen cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa, to increase civic engagement by creating sports teams for at-risk Yemeni youth.

Andrew at a new court launch in Umlazi, South Africa

Andrew at a new court launch in Umlazi, South Africa

Andrew grew up in central Washington, DC, his friendship with PPI cofounders Brendan and Sean Tuohey dates to their high school basketball team. In 2002, Brendan surprised Andrew by asking him to join Sean in South Africa to help develop what was then only an 18-month-old organization. Over the next 3 years Andrew would set out to help build a sports and life skill program that taught South African youth not just on the court, but also in life. After South Africa Andrew returned to the PPI head office in Washington, DC and spent the next 4 years overseeing PPI Operations in the four international sites and the program in New Orleans. Andrew left PPI in 2009 and spent the next 2 years living in Panama running a beachfront restaurant called Pipas, as in agua de pipa or coconut water.

“The country and people of Haiti have suffered in so many ways for centuries, but the resilience and courage I witnessed is forever with me.”

Andrew was living in Panama when the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. His first instinct was to immediately jump on a plane to assist with relief efforts. He did not go, but the opportunity to become involved in Haiti came later though his graduate school thesis experience. Andrew returned to the US to pursue his Masters in International Relations from the Fletcher School in Massachusetts. While working on his thesis, Andrew partnered with Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian aid agency engaging in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock such as a natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict. Andrew spent 2 weeks based in Port-au-Prince and traveling throughout the island investigating the necessary factors that would allow for the transition from an emergency relief and recovery operations to a long-term development plan.

Andrew Haiti

Andrew traveled to Haiti with Mercy Corps to assist with the earthquake recovery

After Haiti, Andrew began working on building a consultancy profile, part of which is his work with PPI in Yemen. According to Andrew, Yemen is in a critical stage of its democracy building. There are significant food and water shortages, public health problems, and large population of young people without constructive outlets. His goal is to work with locals to create sport programs in the cities of Sana’a and Aden to engage youth in their communities as never before.

When Andrew first arrived over 1 year ago, part of his Needs Assessment involved meeting with key community members and government officials in Aden and Sana’a to figure out how best to recruit participants. The base of operations was an education center funded and operated by USAID and AMIDEAST that bustles each day with several hundred male and female students. By the end of the month, Julie joined Andrew and they were challenging Yemeni women and men to take more responsibility in their community and perhaps begin running their own projects. Andrew then returned to Yemen on his own in June of 2012 to engage a more experienced group of basketball players to join the participants from earlier in the year.

A group of participants in Yemen

A group of participants in Yemen

The February 2013 trip re-unites Andrew and Julie as trainers and will engage their participants in training workshops that will feature tools to help them think in more depth about a particular problem or need in their community that can be addressed via their particular community-based project. The workshops also feature long-term management principles, while going after a slightly older and more experienced group of post-college graduates with the hope that they will have the ability to continue the program. For Andrew, it will be his last time working with this group in Yemen. “I am going to miss the people I have encountered in Yemen. The potential for the young adults to organize themselves for better communities is limitless. Everyone we work with wants a better and active life. They soak up the information we share both on the court and in the classroom like sponges – with the hope that they then proactively engage community members as the leaders they now see in themselves.” 

To follow Andrew’s work in Yemen, and for all other things PeacePlayers, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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by | October 15, 2012 · 9:07 am

Umuntu, Umuntu Ngabantu – A Journey from South Africa to the USA

Two weeks ago former coach and PPI success story, Lesego Andrew Goba, stopped by the DC office. For many of us, it was our first opportunity to meet Goba and hear his incredible journey from South Africa to the USA.

Lesego Andrew Goba playing in his final year at Stony Brook University

On the outskirts of Durban is Inanda, a rural village not unlike many villages in South Africa. Although most houses had no running water, electricity or even telephones, Goba viewed his rural upbringing as a positive. “Scarcity of resources taught me to be grateful for what I had; and inspired me to pursue that which I did not have, fearlessly, because I had nothing to lose.”

Goba (upper middle) with his cousins near his home in Inanda

By age 8 Goba would go out by himself to the city or the beach, teaching himself to be independent and solve his own problems, and every Sunday morning at 7am he and his friends would walk 45 minutes to the only basketball court around and play pickup until the mid-day sun forced them to stop. During the week Goba would commute 1 hour each way to his school in Northwood, dreaming of a day when basketball would take him to a better life.

Goba first got interested in basketball as a young kid while watching NBA Inside Stuff with Ahmad Rashaad on one of the only three TV channels he had, but it wasn’t until the basketball coach at Durban High School (DHS), Craig Gilchrist, recruited him to play that his dreams started to become a reality. At DHS Goba got his first taste of organized basketball and he quickly excelled, helped in part to his recent growth spurt that left him towering over his peers.

“I remember the day, the time, even the street corner, where I met the man who would change my life.”

In 2003, during his final year at DHS, Goba was stopped at the corner of Musgrave and Essenwood, by PPI cofounder, Sean Tuohey. After recently starting PPI in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Sean was in South Africa to start a program in Durban. Sean talked about PPI for almost an hour, and even though Goba didn’t really understand what Sean was saying, Goba agreed to join his vision and begin coaching for PPI.

Goba (right) as a PPI coach on a leadership retreat in Durban

The two quickly built up a close relationship, and in April of 2005, after 2 years of coaching around Durban for PPI, Sean surprised Goba again, this time handing him an address in New York and saying that he would be flying there in a few weeks. As usual, Goba didn’t understand what Sean was talking about. The address turned out to belong to Sean’s younger brother, and the plan was to get Goba to the USA so that he could show off his skills to some college recruits. Goba was directed to take the subway after arriving in JFK, which was absolutely foreign to him. He recalls that when he got to JFK, he boycotted Sean’s mission, and just went with the first guy that said “taxi!”

One month later Goba was playing in an AAU tournament in Washington DC. There he met the head coach of the Stony Brook basketball team, Steve Pikiell, who would help Goba get into Stony Brook on an athletic scholarship. “It was like winning the lotto, given where I came from. I wasn’t going to mess this up.”

But the adjustment from South Africa to New York wasn’t easy. On the first day of basketball practice it was raining outside and Goba assumed that meant practice was cancelled, after all every practice he had ever been to had depended on the weather. Only 30 minutes before did it click that his new team practiced indoors. Goba sprinted to practice, barely arriving in time.

Goba with Coach Pikiell (right) and Mentor Randall Susman (left)

The first practice at the DI level was hardest of his life. For Goba, it was like going straight from high school to the NBA. By now Goba was 6’7” and a mere 185 pounds, much lighter than most of the centers that he had to match up with. But despite his early challenges, Goba succeeded on and off the court. He decided to pursue a career in medicine, graduating in 4 years with a BS in Public Health. During that time Goba became a team captain, won Scholar Athlete of the Year, and during his final home game, Stony Brook Men’s Basketball won their first-ever America East Regular-Season Championship.

After graduating Goba got a second BS in nursing and has recently begun working at the Stony Brook Medical Hospital in the Psychiatric Department. He now aspires to continue his education as a psychiatric nurse practitioner (masters level), and get his doctorate. “My education was the paved road that I could now walk on. I had to maximize the opportunity.”

“I believe that we are blessed so we too can be a blessing to others.”

Goba with PPI Cofounder and Executive Director Brendan Tuohey

Goba goes back to Durban every year to see his family, but he plans on staying in the USA to master his craft so that one day he can return home and give something special and of high quality back to his community. In the long term Goba wants to teach kids how to realize their potential, use the natural skills they acquire from living in poverty/dire circumstances to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to them, and thus improve their quality of life. “This is what Sean Tuohey essentially did for me, and in compliments of him and PPI, this is what I want to essentially do for others.”

As he reflects on his 7-year journey, Goba realizes that it all started as a dream, a vision, a desire, and that one man, one moment, changed the course of his life. Goba believes that from that day at the corner of Essenwood and Musgrave, his success has been profoundly and fundamentally based on an ancient Zulu Proverb: “umuntu, umuntu ngabantu,” which means “someone, is someone, because of someone/some people.”

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by | May 25, 2012 · 1:09 pm

800 Days of Friendship

Playing with the Iskele kids (Sevilay is second from left) at the PeaceDay Tournament in 2010

When I board a plane and leave Cyprus tomorrow, I will have been in Cyprus for exactly 800 days. (Yes, I counted.) When I think about 800 it sounds like a lot. A lot of hot summer days walking around Lefkosia’s old city, and a lot of cold winter nights in the mountains of Agros. A lot of afternoons playing pick-up, and a lot of mornings discussing politics over Frappe. A lot of delicious souvla dinners and a lot of stomachaches the next morning.

Me and little Theodora cheerleading during a practice in Limassol

But most memorable of all, there were A LOT of wild little kids (also known as Barbie’s or gorillas depending on the practice). There was Galatia, whose leadership and enthusiasm greatly surpassed her age, and Sultan the terminator (a nickname that came from her constant fouling), and super tall Alexi, who during the 2011 Summer League broke a backboard in half while trying to dunk. But there was also little Theodora, whose straight black bangs always fell into her eyes as she yelled my name over and over from her school’s balcony. Even though she had to grow up in a harsh environment in Limassol, with a single mother to raise her and her three siblings, Theodora somehow always had a smile on her face big enough to brighten anyone’s day.

And there were Coach Sevki’s kids, Cetin and his younger sister Sevilay, who would always greet me with a big hug after I made the long drive from Nicosia to Iskele. Sevilay, now 11 years old, just started practicing with PeacePlayers, while Cetin, who graduated from PPI-CY’s normal programming this year, will now go on to be part of PPI-CY’s Leadership Development Program. After practice I would often go back to Sevki’s house and play in the family garden with Sevilay, picking artichokes or playing with their chickens. Later I would relax on the couch and play Cetin at some NBA2K7, which I always won. And even though Cetin is a die-hard Celtics fan, I’ll cut him a little slack.

With the English School boys after our final game together. Left to right: Omac, Adam, Fuat, Aral, Henry, Gunnar, Onat and Tunc.

Then there are the English School boys: Fuat, Onat, Aral, Tunc and Omac; a group of Turkish-Cypriot boys who I’ve watched grow up before my eyes. (Omac by about 2 feet!) Those boys live for basketball and after coaching them on a PeacePlayers team for two years, they all went on to play in competitive youth leagues. When I told them I was leaving, they challenged Gunnar and me to a final game, thinking that now that they have grown, maybe they could finally beat us. Although I was impressed by their improved skills, they are actually really good for 14 year olds, we had to put them in their place. After all, the next time I see them they probably will put me in mine.

But most of all, I will miss my Lapta girls: Aysel, Canan, Cemre, Murude and Hilal (who I call the mamba, in honor of our favorite NBA player). The very first practice I ever went to back in March of 2010 was in Lapta. Even though back then they were the smallest on the team, their spirit made them stand out. Since then, I spent countless days coaching them, and it wasn’t always pleasant. Often times their crazy energy combined with their lack of English made coaching really frustrating. But over time I became very close to those girls, watching them mature to become better basketball players as well as more savvy young women. My highlight with the Lapta girls had to be the summer camp last July, when most of them were on my team: The Yellow Sun Girls. During the camp we had the opportunity to spend several days together, playing, learning and becoming better friends.

Me with some of the Lapta girls during the All Girls Tournament. Left to Right: Cemre, Me, Aysel and Murude. Also in the picture is Canan giving me bunny ears…

Last week, at the end of our final practice, I gathered the Lapta girls around and in my simple Turkish I announced my final departure. “Girls, today I am very sad, today will be my final practice with you,” but as soon as they realized what I was saying tears began streaming down their faces. As a lump formed in my throat, a tried to explain to them that it was time for me to return to my home in America, but how happy I was that I had the chance to be their coach and their friend. I gave them all hugs and encouraged them to continue playing basketball because one day I will return and I want to see them make their left handed layups!

Indeed after 800 days being in Cyprus, what will stay with me most of all are the kids. Being part of the kids’ lives during these years has been a great opportunity for me, one that I will cherish forever. I have to thank PeacePlayers for giving me the chance to meet so many amazing people while making positive change in the world. No matter where I go next, I will take the friendships I made in Cyprus with me.

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by | May 11, 2012 · 1:24 pm

PPI-CY Holds End of the Year Tournament

140 Cypriot children participated in the End-of-Year Basketball Tournament

This past Saturday PPI-CY celebrated the completion of a great year by organizing its End-of-the-Year Basketball Tournament. The tournament hosted over 140 Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot children from PPI-CY teams across Cyprus. Youth ages 11 to 16 gathered at Poliproponitirio Gymnasium in Nicosia to play basketball in an inclusive and fun-filled environment to celebrate the completion of another year of bicommunal activity and sport interaction. Boys and girls from 10 different cities and villages across Cyprus (Kalosi, Larnaca, Kiti, Dali, Engomi, Nicosia, Kyrenia, Lapithos/Lapta, Lysi/Akdogan and Trikomo/Iskele) came together to play 3-on-3 basketball in mixed teams, listen to music, enjoy food and special activities together.

For Greek-Cypriot Alexi (left), and Turkish-Cypriot Omac (right), this was their 5th tournament together

Tournaments are a great way to promote the sport of basketball and bring out a message that cooperation and collaboration through sport is possible by encouraging Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot youth to interact with each other. Saturday’s tournament was one of the biggest and best PPI-CY has ever had, and included a mixture of ages and experience levels. For some of the kids, this was their fifth PeacePlayers tournament they have attended, for others it was their first. This created an amazing environment where experienced children could lead by example, helping to break down social divides and create a comfortable playing atmosphere for the newer children.

Despite a delay at buffer zone, all Turkish-Cypriot children were able to participate in the day’s festivities.

But the morning did not go without incident. While the Turkish-Cypriot children were attempting to cross the buffer zone to get to the gym, border police stopped them and made each of the 75 children go through the checkpoint one by one, requiring not just their IDs, but the IDs of both parents as well. While this information is supposed to be stored in a computer, for some reason that day it was lost, and the police even threatened to hold back several children who had crossed many times before. But the PPI-CY coaches and children showed great patience, working with the police, getting each parent on the phone to relay the correct info, and even though it took nearly 1.5 hours, every child was able to cross. When the Turkish-Cypriot children finally arrived at the gym, the Greek-Cypriot children cheered and welcomed them, and as the basketballs began flying the morning hassle was quickly forgotten.

Eating food is an important part of every PPI-CY basketball tournament

While the morning experience is not ideal, the result turned out to be alright thanks to the leadership and experience of the PPI-CY coaches who made sure no child was left behind. This experience also shows the challenges PPI-CY faces every year in order to bring the two sides together, but it is a challenge worth taking. With PPI-CY’s ultimate goal to create real long lasting friendships between the children of the two ethnically divided communities, this tournament was a great step in the right direction. The next opportunity for these kids to meet will be the PPI-CY 6-day overnight summer camp in July. It is our hope that the camp will help take the hundreds of new relationships formed through twinnings and tournaments this year and solidify them.

To see all the photos from this tournament and more, check out the PPI-CY Facebook Group here.

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by | May 4, 2012 · 1:39 pm

PPI-CY Holds Final Twinning of the Year

The group made up of Greek- and Turkish-Cypriot children celebrate the Twinning at Ledra Palace.

Last Saturday PeacePlayers-Cyprus held a special celebration at Ledra Palace while holding the last twinning of the year.  Starting in January of this year PPI-CY began partnering with the United Nations to hold bicommunal basketball games that we call ‘twinnings’ inside Ledra Palace in the UN controlled buffer zone. Twinnings are a chance for children to come play basketball together under the supervision of their coaches, build friendships and learn about peace. During twinnings Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot children are put together on the same teams so they have a chance to play with each other. The UN has supported PPI-CY’s mission by providing buses, food and an outdoor basketball court where the children from both communities can play.

“This year PeacePlayers has brought together over 200 young people from both communities to play basketball and develop friendships. Our Bicommunal Celebration on April 28 will give others the opportunity to see what we have been doing to promote peace in our island.” said Marina Vasilara, PeacePlayers – Cyprus Managing Director.

One pair of bicommunal children completes a teambuilding activity.

On Saturday morning 40 boys and girls from both the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities from PeacePlayers’ teams in Dali and Lysi/Akdogan came together at the basketball courts inside Ledra Palace in the Buffer Zone in Nicosia to celebrate the completion of this year’s twinnings. PPI-CY also invited its local board of directors, parents from the two communities, other local NGOs. New EU Representative to Cyprus, Mr. Giorgos Markopouliotis, also came by to show his support for PPI-CY. Several newspapers came as well to take pictures and write about the day’s activities.

The day was a great opportunity for some important people to see first hand how PPI-CY makes an impact in Cyprus. The kids had a great time too, playing long competitive matches on a beautiful April day. The same kids will have one more opportunity to play with each other this Saturday for the End of the Year Tournament, which will bring over 150 children from PPI-CY teams all across Cyprus for one giant in door 3 on 3 tournament.

To see more photos from both events, make sure to visit the PPI-CY Facebook Group!

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by | April 27, 2012 · 2:30 pm

Introducing Fellow Henry Louis

New Fellow Henry with the English School of Kyrenia Team.

PPI-CY is excited to welcome new Fellow Henry Louis to Cyprus. Henry recently graduated from Tufts University (go Jumbos!) with a BA in History and a  focus on Middle Eastern Studies. While in college Henry played for and managed the varsity basketball. Henry also already has a lot of international experience. Henry lived and worked in Cairo, Egypt in 2010 for a organization called Project Hope. Before that, Henry worked in Yerevan, Armenia doing volunteer activities in poverty-stricken villages. Henry, who is half Armenian, also interned at UNDP Armenia.

PPI-CY is happy to have Henry join the team. Henry arrived in Larnaca airport on Sunday night where he was picked up by current Fellows Adam and Gunnar. Wasting no time they took Henry straight to a Taverna for a giant mixed kebab full of strange meats. The next day Henry was taken to his first PPI-CY basketball practice in Kyrenia. Henry was great with the kids, but in his first game he had a pass stolen and taken back for a layup by the other team… nice going Henry!

Henry also had the opportunity to play pickup basketball with some friends of the program where he showed off some of his skills (the kid has hops!). But the real work has yet to begin. For the next two Saturdays Henry will help PPI-CY organize a bicommunal twinning and tournament that will bring together over 150 Cypriot youth. Everyone at PPI-CY is happy to have him here, and can’t wait to see what he can bring to PeacePlayers. Welcome to Cyprus, Henry!

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by | April 20, 2012 · 1:00 pm

PPI-CY Unveils Its New Measurement and Evaluation System

How do you quantify the impact of PeacePlayers?

Anyone who has the opportunity to witness a PeacePlayers-Cyprus twinning or tournament sees the obvious impact it is making on the ground. But often times people ask me what kind of real impact is PPI-CY making? How do you quantify a high-five or a new friendship between kids from an ethnically divided island? PPI-CY has begun to tackle this complex problem with its new measurement and evaluation system on Salesforce.

PPI-CY can track how many hours of programming it is providing to Cypriot children month to month

The first step was to enter in information about all children currently participating in the PPI-CY program, a daunting task, especially considering many children come from rural villages and are not the easiest kids to get a hold of. But when its all said and done, PPI-CY now has a clearer understanding of the scope of its reach across Cyprus. We now have an accurate record of the growth of the program over the last 3 years, how many kids are participating in our program month to month, not to mention their age, gender and hometown.

PPI-CY can track its growth year to year

But the biggest challenge moving forward is how to use this new wealth of information to improve our programming. For instance we can now see how many hours each child is spending interacting with children from the other community. Because Cyprus is a physically divided island, getting the children together is our greatest challenge, and our greatest opportunity to create positive change. By understanding better how our children are spending time together, we have a better opportunity to improve and broaden the scope of our program in the coming years.

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by | April 6, 2012 · 1:17 pm

2 Twinnings, 2 Times The Fun

PPI - Cyprus continues to hold its Twinnings for teams at the historic Ledra Palace.

This past Saturday PPI-CY held not one but TWO twinnings at Ledra Palace. The day started off with the girls teams from Lapithos/Lapta and Kiti coming together for the  third time this year. It was great to see the girls come together again, this time recognizing the faces of the girls they were going to play with. Bringing the same teams together several times a year is essential for the kids to start to form real relationships with each other. The girls will meet once more at the End of the Year Tournament on May 5 with all the kids from PPI-CY.

PPI - CY has reached new heights with its Twinnings, which are occurring on a more frequent basis this year.

After the girls in the morning were done playing and had eaten their fill of pizza they headed back to their villages. As they were leaving, the PPI-CY teams from Iskele/Trikomo and Larnaca were coming together to play each other for the second time. The hot sun was shining down on the kids, but their spirits and energy was high. For two more hours the kids ran around playing full court basketball on mixed teams. All over the court you could see Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots holding hands, giving high fives and laughing together.

But the pictures tell the whole story. To see all of the pictures from both twinnings, make sure to visit the PPI-CY Facebook group.

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by | March 30, 2012 · 2:49 pm

PPI-CY Gives Presentation to Graduate Students from Manchester University

PPI-CY Fellow Adam Hirsch shows the group from Manchester University the different areas of Cyprus where PPI-CY has basketball teams

This week PPI-CY got a special visit from a group of 20 international postgraduates studying for the MSc in Management and Implementation of Development Projects at the University of Manchester. The program is designed for engineers, sociologists, project managers of international or bilateral aid projects, NGO practitioners and policy makers of key ministries working in the context of low income economies. The program incorporates a field study, usually to Cyprus, which offers an opportunity to apply conceptual understanding and techniques to organisations and issues in a society undergoing rapid cultural, political and economic change.

Although the group did visit Cyprus once before in 2010, this is the first time they had an opportunity to visit with PPI-CY. The group gathered at the PPI-CY offices on Wednesday morning for a presentation given by PPI Fellow Adam Hirsch. The group was very international in composition, with students coming from all over Europe, Africa and Asia. Adam began the presentation with a short quiz about the history of the Cyprus conflict, including having the students guess how long Cyprus had been effectively under control of the UK (82 years), how long the buffer zone extends (182 kilometers) and how many children PPI-CY has worked with since its establishment in 2007 (3,000).
The students were very keen and showed great interest in the presentation, which included information on PPI-CY’s conflict resolution philosophy, program activities and measurement and evaluation system. Afterwards the students asked many intelligent questions regarding the successes and challenges PeacePlayers has faced in Cyprus. One of the students asked Adam how PPI-CY recruits new kids into the program. This was a perfect opportunity to show one of our favorite videos, “PPI-CY visits Peristerona,” showing PPI-CY fellows, Adam, Gunnar and Rory, introducing a PeacePlayers practice to a group of elementary school kids in the Greek-Cypriot community. If you havn’t seen the video in a while, its always good for a few laughs:
In the end the group gave a special thanks to PPI-CY for doing great work and presented Adam with a small gift from their University. This Saturday the students will have the unique opportunity to see PPI-CY’s work in action during a bicommunal twinning at Ledra Palace. We hope they have a chance to come and witness the process of peace building in person.

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by | March 23, 2012 · 3:50 pm

PPI-CY kids go to professional games

Guard Jackson out of Warner Pacific College at the Etha vs. Apollon game

This week March Madness continues, and in Cyprus PeacePlayers has been celebrating by taking kids to their first professional basketball games ever! On Tuesday, PPI-CY took seven children from our team in Dali and nine children from our team newest team in Engomi to the playoff match between Etha and Apollon. The match was an exciting one, where Etha won advancing to the championship round.

“It was great to see the kids so excited about the game. They kept asking questions about the rules of the game because it was the first actual game they could see in person. It was so nice to be there with the kids.” – PPI-CY Coordinator Athanasios

On Wednesday, PPI-CY took seven children from the girl’s team in Kiti to see Karavnos play AEK. In an incredible upset, AEK beat Karavnos. The two teams will now play again in a final game 5 to decide who gets to advance to the championship game against Etha.

For nearly all of the kids, it was their first time ever seeing a real basketball game in person. It was a memorable experience for all the kids. PPI-CY would also like to give a special thanks to the coaches of Etha and AEK who were able to give free tickets to all the PPI-CY kids to attend the matches. PeacePlayers was happy to create such a fun and unique experience for the kids.

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