Basketball Tournament a Slam Dunk for Community Impact Projects

by Yanet Sisay-Tesfaye and Yu-Fei Wang

Basketball games at ICS are fueling service projects that make a lasting impact in the local community.

The Focus on Service (FOS) group, which is a High School student club with a mission of fundraising and supporting service learning projects at ICS, hosted its highly anticipated annual basketball tournament on Saturday 16 November.

Student and staff teams faced off in the event which showcases athletic talent, builds community spirit, and highlights the club's commitment to supporting meaningful community engagement projects.

Since FOS’s inception in 2018, the group has been instrumental in fundraising efforts, providing funding for student-led community engagement club initiatives. In the past, the group has contributed funds to projects such as

• Project Burayu Service Club: Received 120,000 birr last year for purchasing and installing water tanks for rainwater harvesting in a government school in Burayu.
• Project Mekedonia: Funded the purchase of a printing machine used for printing bags at their center.
• Mekdela Football Club: Assisted in acquiring cleats and jerseys for students at a local neighboring school.
• Children's Cross Connection (CCC): Supported the annual workshop held with the orphanage from Sidama over several years.

The group raised nearly 300,000 ETB at this year’s and will continue to honor its mission to support sustainable, impactful student-led service projects.

This year, the tournament featured eight competitive teams, including a remarkable entry from ICS faculty and staff, The Flock. Led by Mr. Taylor and Ms. Bethel, the staff team made history by becoming the first ever to win an FOS tournament!

FOS would like to thank all of their supporters and participants, especially the event’s three platinum sponsors: China Communications Construction Company, HOTTO Restaurant, and Century Mall.

To find out more about how ICS empowers its students to make a difference through community engagement, visit our Service Learning page.