To honour her roots and the community that helped raise her, Immaculate Adarkwa executed the Dwennimmen Girls Basketball Tournament and established the Okyere Adarkwa Kwakye Family Legacy Foundation – an ocean away. For using sport to empower young women to be leaders, Adarkwa is a 2022-23 recipient of the CCAA Torchbearer Scholarship, presented by Hudl.
Adarkwa, of Mississauga, Ont., is working towards her Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology degree at the University of Guelph - Humber in Etobicoke, Ont. She is a first-year power forward with the Hawks women's basketball team.
Adarkwa found support and encouragement through the Kickback Youth Ambassador Program to discover her own core values and use them to support her community. She not only embraced this challenge but took it to the next level by organizing a high school girls basketball clinic and tournament in Kumasi, Ghana.
She chose the community and the name of the name of the Foundation to honour her late grandmother.
"I named this tournament 'Dwennimmen' because it translates to 'Ram's Horns', which symbolize strength (in mind, body, and soul), humility, wisdom, and learning," said Adarkwa. "I believe these are attributes my grandmother embodied and raised me on."
Adarkwa worked through several challenges associated with hosting an event in one country, while living in another, and managed to successfully sell her vision to many individuals, teams, and businesses to meet the needs of her event and ensure its success. She secured sponsors and partners, managed the fundraising and finances, and developed the format for the event's conversations and competition.
Even smaller details like food, water and prizes for participants and the organization of teams, referees and guest speakers were spearheaded by Adarkwa.
"Inter-country planning involves incredible organization skills and attention to detail, which Immaculate demonstrated throughout this project," said Katherine Allen, Manager, Social Impact with the Toronto Raptors. "Immaculate is an exemplary young leader who truly aspires to do good, and her growth has been exponential."
"I can only imagine the heights she will reach," said Allen.
A key aspect of her campaign was empowering young women not only through sport but conversations.
"I believe it is important for female athletes to understand their strengths aside from sport by learning and building community, confidence, passion and integrity," said Adarkwa. "We are capable of amazing things, so creating the right spaces through strong connections and trust is important to help us be our best selves."
The next phase of Adarkwa's initiative is a basketball clinic for young women in her Canadian community. The 'Black Females Basketball Clinic' is being hosted at the Humber College Athletic Centre on June 24 for girls ages 13-18 wishing to register.
Source: CCAA Communications