Why the Hamchetou Maïga-Ba Foundation Exists

A Founder’s Vision Rooted in Experience, Education, and Inclusion

 

I began playing basketball at the age of nine. My mother played basketball and my father soccer, and from an early age they emphasized not only sport, but — more importantly — education. That balance shaped my life.

​I played basketball for ten years in Mali and spent time playing in Senegal before earning a scholarship to attend Old Dominion University in the United States. After graduating, I was drafted by the Sacramento Monarchs in the WNBA and went on to play professionally for sixteen seasons, combining my career in the U.S. and Europe. 

While basketball opened doors for me, education is what sustained me.

 

I was able to succeed as a student-athlete because my parents instilled a strong work ethic and belief in education at a young age. Many children — particularly in Mali — do not have that same access or support.​

The Challenge We Are Addressing

In Mali, and across much of Africa, access to education remains a significant challenge. With a population of over 25 million people — nearly half under the age of 15 — literacy rates remain critically low. For many young athletes, there is little connection between education and sport, and talented players often leave school too early.

 

Yet sport has enormous power.

 

Sport builds communities, inspires hope, teaches discipline, and creates opportunity. When combined with education, it becomes a catalyst for lasting change.

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This belief is at the core of the Hamchetou Maïga-Ba Foundation.

Our Purpose

Through the Foundation, we use basketball as a platform to:

 

• Encourage continued education

• Teach essential life skills

• Develop future leaders

• Foster inclusion and belonging

 

Our goal is not only to help boys and girls succeed in sport, but to equip them with tools that will guide them throughout their lives.

Commitment to Inclusion

My commitment to inclusion began during my college years at Old Dominion University, where we regularly participated in camps with Special Olympics athletes. In 2013, I became re-engaged with Special Olympics and in 2014 was honored to become the Founding Chair of Special Olympics Mali.

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In Mali, individuals with intellectual disabilities are too often overlooked or excluded. Having witnessed firsthand how sport transforms lives and creates acceptance in the United States, I felt compelled to help bring that same opportunity and dignity to Mali.

 

I am deeply grateful to Eunice Kennedy Shriver for founding Special Olympics and for paving the way toward acceptance, respect, and visibility. Individuals with intellectual disabilities are not separate from us — they are our brothers, sisters, parents, and friends. When we take the time to know them, they often teach us some of life’s most important lessons.

Why HMBF Exists

The Hamchetou Maïga-Ba Foundation exists to:

• Use basketball as a bridge to education

• Promote inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities

• Empower young people — especially girls — to believe in their potential

• Build stronger, more inclusive communities

If you share this vision and would like to help create meaningful, lasting impact, we invite you to join us.

 

Together, we can open doors to opportunity and build pathways to a more inclusive future.