Florida Students Raise $100,000 for Kenyan Schools Through 'Kids for Kids' Basketball Tournament

When Jack Hansen, a junior at The Benjamin Upper School in Florida, visited Kijana Global Innovation School in Kenya, he watched students improvise basketballs out of rolled-up T-shirts wrapped in yarn. That image stayed with him—and on March 1, 2026, it helped raise $100,000.

The student-led charity basketball tournament, organized by youth nonprofit PureHealth World, brought together students, families, and local sponsors in Palm Beach Gardens to fund sports infrastructure projects in Kenya and community development initiatives in the United States. The event represents a new model of diaspora engagement: youth-driven, sports-centered, and designed to create lasting ties between communities separated by oceans but connected by shared investment in the next generation.

From Improvised Balls to Real Courts

The flagship event, known as Hoops for Hope, featured a 3-on-3 basketball tournament with age divisions ranging from under-eight players to high school students. More than 170 participants competed, with proceeds earmarked for development projects at Kijana Global Innovation School in Kenya, initiatives run by Kids Around the World, and community programs at Place of Hope in South Florida.

Xander Klein, the founder of PureHealth World and the student organizer, said the event was designed to mobilize young people to support global development initiatives. Jack Hansen, another Benjamin School student who visited Kijana, described his experience: "After visiting the school myself, I developed a deep appreciation for the students, especially through spending time playing sports with them," Hansen said. "Many students improvise by making balls out of rolled-up T-shirts wrapped in yarn. As a member of PureHealth World, I'm excited about the possibility of helping Kijana finish their media center that is under construction and to build sports courts and playgrounds in Kenya."

The $100,000 raised will support infrastructure at Kijana Global Innovation School, which partners with international organizations to expand access to education, technology, and recreational facilities for students in underserved communities. Funds from the event will help advance the construction of a media center currently under development, as well as contribute to the building of sports courts and playgrounds.

A 'Kids for Kids' Model

Organizers said the event was structured as a "kids for kids" initiative, encouraging young people to take leadership roles in organizing community events that support children facing social and economic challenges. The model reflects a broader shift in how diaspora engagement works: rather than waiting for adults to lead, young people with personal connections to multiple countries are designing their own cross-border philanthropy.

The tournament took place at The Benjamin Upper School in Palm Beach Gardens on March 1 and drew support from local sponsors eager to back youth-led social impact projects. While a significant share of the funds will support projects in Kenya, part of the proceeds will also benefit local initiatives in the United States, reinforcing the idea that global solidarity and local responsibility are not mutually exclusive.

Youth Exchange as Infrastructure

What makes this fundraiser notable is not just the dollar amount—though $100,000 is substantial for a student-led event—but the personal connection that made it possible. Hansen's visit to Kijana Global Innovation School created a relationship that transformed abstract "charity" into concrete solidarity. He didn't just hear about students who lacked sports equipment; he played with them, saw the improvised yarn balls, and understood viscerally what a basketball court would mean.

Organizers emphasized that the project illustrates how youth exchange and travel experiences can strengthen global connections and encourage young people to support social initiatives abroad. "These efforts reflect a shift from viewing diaspora communities solely as beneficiaries of protection systems to recognizing them as active development partners," according to reporting on similar initiatives.

PureHealth World, the nonprofit behind the event, focuses on connecting youth communities across countries, using sports and collaborative events to generate support for development projects. The organization aims to continue using this model, with future programs planned to focus on expanding sports facilities, supporting education infrastructure, and promoting youth engagement in social impact initiatives.

Kenyan Schools and the Diaspora Pipeline

Kijana Global Innovation School is one of hundreds of Kenyan educational institutions that have built partnerships with diaspora communities and international donors to fill gaps left by strained public budgets. The school's emphasis on technology, innovation, and global connections makes it an attractive partner for youth-led initiatives in the United States.

The media center under construction at Kijana—set to receive funding from the Hoops for Hope tournament—will provide students with access to digital resources, video production equipment, and connectivity that can link them to peers around the world. The sports courts and playgrounds, meanwhile, address a more immediate need: safe, dedicated spaces for physical activity and recreation.

For students at The Benjamin Upper School, the tournament also provided a lesson in the mechanics of fundraising, event management, and cross-cultural partnership. Participants were not just writing checks; they were competing, organizing, and building relationships with the Kenyan students they were supporting.

What's Next: Scaling the Model

By linking students in the United States with development projects in Kenya and other regions, PureHealth World hopes to demonstrate how community-driven initiatives can contribute to lasting social change. Future programs will focus on expanding sports facilities, supporting education infrastructure, and promoting youth engagement in social impact initiatives, organizers said.

The March 1 event is part of a broader trend of youth-led, diaspora-connected philanthropy that treats global solidarity not as an abstract ideal but as a series of concrete projects: a basketball court here, a media center there, playgrounds for students who currently play on dirt.

For the students at The Benjamin Upper School, the $100,000 raised is both an achievement and a starting point. The real measure of success will come when students at Kijana Global Innovation School play their first game on a real court, with real balls—no rolled-up T-shirts required.

“"Many students improvise by making balls out of rolled-up T-shirts wrapped in yarn."”

The Bigger Picture

The Hoops for Hope tournament is a small but telling example of how diaspora engagement is evolving. Rather than relying solely on remittances sent by working adults or large-scale institutional partnerships, young people are creating their own networks of solidarity, using sports, education, and digital connectivity as the infrastructure.

For Kenyan communities in the United States, events like this also serve a cultural function: they teach the next generation that their connection to Kenya is not just nostalgic or symbolic, but active and consequential. And for students in Kenya, they offer proof that the world beyond their borders is paying attention—and investing.

Reporting drawn from Business Radar Kenya, The Kampala Report.