Project Launch:

Before the communities of Tireo and Constanza, in the Dominican Republic, had a working basketball court, the area where one sits now was litter-strewn, a cement court with two broken backboards and torn nets. Other than the adjacent baseball field, this was the only space available to local youth searching for an outlet during their free time. To fix up the space, a $500 grant was awarded by World Connect’s Kids to Kids program to not only reconstruct the court´s backboards, hoops, and bleachers, but to purchase and promote the use of trashcans to help clean up the area and the broader community. Young people painted eco-friendly images and messages on the trashcans as well as planted trees and constructed picnic tables and benches to make the outdoor space in the community more accessible and inviting. This project gave the youth a safe and environmentally sound area to constructively spend their time while spreading environmental awareness throughout the community.