Basketball scout, Sarah Chan career don carry her travel all ova di world, from Sudan to Kenya, Europe and di US – but she also don face war, racism and gender-based violence along di way.
“Pesin don spit for my face sake of di colour of my skin,” di former professional basketball player tok.
“I don experience racism for more ways dan I for bin prefer.”
Now, di first woman to manage Africa wey dey search for a team inside di NBA – wey be di world top professional basketball league – Sarah Chan dey inspire new generation of young pipo to seek out opportunity for di sport.
“Basketball brighten up my way to wia I dey today. Na everytin,” according to Sarah Chan, wey feature for di BBC 100 Women list of inspiring and influential women dis year.
She and her family bin live for Khartoum during di second Sudanese Civil War.
Plenti attempt bin take place to arrest her papa and she remember how noise from outside dia house go wake her up for night many times.
Finally dem run, with di hope to find safe life and beta education for Kenya.
“Na di first place wey we fit actually enjoy di right of playing sports, becos for Sudan [playing] sports and seeing a girl or woman in shorts na taboo,” she tok.
Na for hia Sarah Chan passion for basketball start.
She remember one conversation wey make her and her sister begin play di sport for di first time.
“I remember say we be one of di tallest pikin for school inside Kenya and our principal approach us and ask if we go fit play.”
And at dat time, honestly, my mind no dey dia.
And so I tok say, with all respect I no wan join – and becos of dat, e immediately make sports mandatory.”
Afta years of training, Sarah Chan come get four-year undergraduate basketball scholarship for Union University, inside Jackson, Tennessee, for di US.
With ova 14-year playing career, she compete professionally for Europe and across Africa.
“Through basketball, you touch so many hearts. Basketball dey change lives,” she tok.
But Sarah Chan also face racism for di sport – including one incident wey she tok say happun wen she travel go Algiers, with her team mates and one man spit for her face.
“Without di foundation of wetin my family don bin teach me, I for no fit dey able to withstand all of dat,” she tok.
“Right before I comot house, my papa and my mama tok say, you dey beautiful just di way you dey.”
Wen Sarah take her first trip back to South Sudan for 2012, she witness injustice against women, including early and forced marriages.
“At di age of 18, dem dey expect you to start looking for partner,” she tok.
“Dem dey by force girls to choose weda to stay for school or to get financial relief from di man wey di family go choose for you”, she explain.
“I cry for very long time. E even get to one point wey I come tire to dey cry and I need to find out wetin I fit do to contribute to make some tins right.”
And so, Sarah Chan start di Home At Home/Apediet Foundation, dat na one mentoring charity to fight against child marriage and advocate for education and sport.
She remember one time wey she dey watch one game wen one girl waka come sitdown next to her for di bench.
“She no even be basketball player, she be just one random pesin wey come di court and begin open up to me and tell me one terrible story of how dem rape her di night before,” she tok.
“And dis story really shock me because I don pass through my own traumatic experiences with rape. And e take long time to heal.
“In di beginning, I dey in denial – [I tink] dis kain trauma and rape no dey happun to six-foot-two girls. Den anger, den grief, and e go make you feel just worthless and helpless and bitter.
“For her, healing come from doing “one of di hardest tins” and forgiving di pesin wey commit di crime – and also from her work with di foundation.
“I come from poverty and we figure am out,” she tok. “Dis children only need one opportunity becos dem dey very gifted, smart and able.”
“Somebody na im help me to start playing sports, and without dem doing dat, I for no dey wia I dey today.”
Upon say na man plenti pass wey dey do dis sport, Sarah Chan tink say di potential for women basketball for di continent dey bright.
“Sports na di future of Africa. na di weapon of Africa, especially for di girls,” she tok.
She take her mentoring work seriously, she say, “because pipo bin see tins in me wey at dat time I neva see.”
Na through coaching she get her role with di Toronto Raptors, afta one NBA executive notice her wen she dey work for basketball camp for Kenya.
Now di team wey dem set up for 1995 as part of di NBA expansion into Canada, don employ her.
Na Sarah Chan job to spot talent wey dey come up – both male and female – to support di players development and create pipeline to open up basketball opportunities for dem for North America.
She recently travel go Uganda and Tanzania to pick players for one major tournament for Rwanda next year.
“Na my hope say ‘ball go get to di point wia dey go be WBAL, dat na Women Basketball African League,” she tok.
“Dat na my dream for dis girls, to make sure say dem no dey limited by culture, dem no dey limited by any tinkin.
“Dem dey free and liberated truly inside dia minds, and go fit pursue dia dreams as human beings, notin to block or limit dem sake of say dem be dis or dat gender.”
BBC 100 women dey name 100 inspiring and influential women around di world every year.
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