13/09/2026
My name is Maman Clémentine. I am a basketball player, and I used to play basketball in Congo with the Pharmakina team.
Today, together with other mothers and members of our community, we have been able to rebuild a women’s basketball team here. When we left Congo, we went through many difficulties and painful experiences. We lost our husbands, we lost our children, and many of us became widows or women living alone.
We are going through very difficult moments. That is why we thought about creating another women’s team, so that we could have a space to relieve some of the stress and pain we carry every day.
As mothers, we carry many responsibilities and a lot of emotional weight. We also know that what we go through can affect our children. When a mother is living in sadness and pain, that sadness can also reach her children.
That is why we decided to do something different and create a space where we can come together, play basketball, support one another, and bring back some joy into our lives.
We have also seen how sport can bring happiness to children. When a child is healthy and has the opportunity to participate in sport, it gives them confidence, hope, and joy. We believe the same can happen for us as mothers.
Through the HerPower Initiative, we want to break the silence around the challenges women and mothers face. We want to support each other, create safe spaces, and remind ourselves that even after everything we have been through, we still have strength and a reason to keep moving forward.
We are mothers, and we want a better future for ourselves and for our children. We want our children to grow, to be healthy, to have opportunities, and to find joy through sport.
This team is more than basketball. It is a space for healing, connection, strength, and hope.
