Hello everyone!

My name is Davide Momi ("Dave" to my friends). I am a neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), and the founder of a charitable project that I started in 2021 to support children and teenagers at Rafiki Orphanage & Children's Home in Arusha, Tanzania.

What began as a volunteer experience quickly became a long-term commitment. After spending time with the children and seeing the challenges they faced, I decided to launch a project with a simple goal: creating opportunities through education and sport.

In 2021, I set out to achieve what seemed like an ambitious dream—building an elementary school for the children of Rafiki and the surrounding community. At the time, many children leaving the orphanage had limited access to education and few opportunities for the future: ending up on the streets or becoming vulnerable to violence, exploitation, and substance abuse.

After three years of work and thanks to the generosity of many supporters, that dream became reality.

In November 2024, Rafiki Primary School was officially inaugurated and welcomed its first students. The attached video shows the inauguration ceremony and represents one of the proudest milestones of this journey.

Today, the school stands as proof that together we can create lasting change.

However, this was never the final goal.

From the very beginning, I envisioned a place where children could not only learn in the classroom but also develop confidence, friendships, discipline, and resilience through sport.

That is why our next objective is to build a basketball court adjacent to the school.

Basketball has had a profound impact on my own life. It taught me the value of hard work, teamwork, respect, perseverance, and leadership. These lessons extend far beyond the court, and I hope to pass them on to the next generation.

So, I founded the "Giona Basketball Academy" and start recruiting and teaching basketball to kids and teenagers.

However, one important piece of the vision is still missing: a dedicated basketball court.

During one of my first visits to Rafiki, I welded the basketball hoop that still hangs in the orphanage today. Children continue to play there every day despite the limited facilities available. Our vision is to move that same hoop to a dedicated basketball court where many more children can play, grow, and dream.

The court will also serve as a community gathering space, offering children a safe environment that encourages positive development and keeps them engaged in healthy activities.

We have already completed the court design and obtained a construction estimate. Our fundraising goal is €7,500, which will allow us to complete the project and bring this vision to life.

Every donation, no matter the amount, directly contributes to creating opportunities for children who deserve the chance to learn, play, and build a brighter future.

Thank you for being part of this journey and for helping us continue a project that has already transformed so many lives.

Together, we built a school. Together, we can build the court that will become its heart.

Davide Momi

Founder, Rafiki Education & Sports Project

University of California, Irvine