BERLIN (Germany) – From April 18 to 22, the Female Youth Leadership workshop took place in the heart of the German capital. The program saw 19 young women from all over Germany, as well as international participants from Namibia and the German Sports University in Cologne, coming together to develop Basketball For Good initiatives around the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Following the inaugural edition around the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, the Mascot Education Program (MEP) returns in 2026 with its first edition dedicated to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. The MEP is built on a selected social theme embedded in the event mascot to educate and inspire youth, thereby creating meaningful impact and enhancing the social legacy of the event.
Bearlina, the mascot for this year’s Women's World Cup, is the hero and role model of the MEP that aims to inspire and empower the next generation of young girls to dream big and own their space both on and off the court. During the workshop in Berlin, the Youth Leaders were educated and empowered to develop their own Basketball for Good projects dedicated to promoting that message and fostering girls' participation and empowerment within their respective communities.
A major highlight was an open talk round with FIBA Hall of Famer Clarisse Machanguana, who shared about her journey and transition to leading the Clarisse Machanguana Foundation to educate young children in Mozambique.
To conclude the workshop, a Basketball For Good Clinic was hosted in collaboration with Alba Berlin. Over 100 young girls took part in different MEP activities delivered by the Youth Leaders. On that occasion, the girls’ eyes widened when they were joined by all FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Inductees and numerous German National Team players, turning the day into a memory they will never forget.
Among the participating Youth Leaders are two young women from the Basketball Artists School (BAS) Foundation, a long-standing Basketball For Good partner based in Namibia.
“Despite being the youngest participant, the rest of the girls made sure to make me feel seen, heard, and included in all the activities. This has helped my confidence leading into doing my own program back in my home country, Namibia,” said Rachel Tjite.
In addition, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2026 Draw and the FIBA Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony provided a great platform for the Youth Leaders to apply practical leadership skills as volunteers at both events. This offered the chance for them to learn, reflect, and network. In addition, the participants also got the opportunity to attend the official premiere of the basketball documentary, The World On Our Shoulders.
Now, the Youth Leaders will implement the Mascot Education Program in the lead-up to the Women’s World Cup in September 2026 in collaboration with their respective Regional Basketball Federations.
The Mascot Education Program and Female Youth Leadership Workshop have been made possible through the German Basketball Federation (DBB), the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the Loughborough University.
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The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports and particularly basketball in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.
The FIBA Foundation believes that basketball has the power to empower, educate and inspire youth and facilitates this by implementing Basketball For Good projects around the world.
FIBA