Stephan Bekale of Tchibanga, Gabon, founded Hoops4Africa in 2002. His story is filled with hardship and triumph. He began living off and on in France at the age of 5, as his parents moved back and forth between France and Gabon . This early exposure to western and European culture ignited his hopes and dreams of a brighter future. Stephan developed an intense interest in the sport of basketball, especially for the American stars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing. He made his goal, at an early age, to pursue an education and to one day become a basketball player in the United States of America .
Despite the incredible odds set against him by poverty, famine, disease and sheer logistics, Stephan set out to actualize his dream with intense focus and determination. He contacted the Canadian Embassy in Gabon , and the Visa Officer there referred him to her friend at the U.S. Embassy, whereupon his visa to the U.S. was granted.
Young Stephan’s next obstacle was purchasing the actual plane ticket. It took his entire family nearly a year to earn the $1,000.00 needed for a one way ticket to New York . Knowing absolutely no one upon his arrival to the US , Stephan lived at JFK International Airport for while before venturing out to the streets of Brooklyn with $75.00 to his name. Homeless and working as a street vendor at the age of fifteen, Stephan realized that life in New York was much too difficult, and the next step involved making government contacts. Stephan Bekale made the decision to re-locate to Washington DC .
Still homeless and without money, Stephan never lost sight of his dream. Within a few weeks, he had approached T.C. Williams High School Basketball Coach, Jim Woden, and expressed his desire to play basketball and get into a good college. Stephan, a very talented and determined 6’8” fifteen year old, spent the next two years studying and playing Titan basketball at T.C Williams H.S. in Alexandria . Upon the advice of Georgetown Head Coach, John Thompson, Stephan decided to transfer to the Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg , VA for his senior year. While maintaining a B average in his fifth language, Stephan emerged as a star at Notre Dame Academy . He was a first team All-State pick in '97-'98, an All-America nominee named one of the top ten centers at the 1997 Nike All-American camp, and helped guide his team to the Virginia Prep Championship with a 40-5 mark and a national ranking among the nation's top prep schools.
Upon successfully completing three years of American High School , Stephan was granted a full basketball scholarship from Penn State University in July 1998. In the weeks before he began attending classes there, Stephan had to return to Gabon to change the status of his visa. Just as he arrived in Africa , three U.S. Embassies were bombed and the prospect of his returning to the United States seemed a losing one.
Having difficulty regaining entrance to the States, Stephan petitioned the help of Graham Spanier, president of Penn State, Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania , Senator Warner of Virginia and former Secretary of Defense, William Cohen. Due to their support, he was able to return and begin attending classes at Penn State .
A few months into his first semester, Stephan received the news from Africa that his father had died of AIDS. The disease claimed his mother soon after. Despite this personal devastation, Stephan persevered and went on to graduate from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration that included a summer of study at Oxford University .
Always concerned with making a difference in his homeland, Stephan has consistently and simultaneously developed successful charitable projects focused on improving the living conditions of his people in Gabon .
While studying and playing basketball at Penn State , Stephan developed a program that donated over 100 pair of sport shoes to support the Basketball players back in Gabon . Many of the players didn't even have shoes, and most others played with significantly sub-standard footwear. Stephan collected the shoes from fellow teammates and players that wear their shoes once or twice and then donate or discard them. The project supplied two teams with approximately $10,000 worth of professional athletic footwear.
