ABOUT US

Home About Us

Our Story

The Ekan Terra Foundation is the vision of Frederick Kwame Banson supported by his brother Michael Yaao Banson who were introduced to the sport of tennis as children and have maintained a lifetime relationship with the sport. The Ekan Terra Foundation is a registered charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is also a registered NGO limited by guarantee under the laws of Ghana. The Foundation’s programmes under the theme of - “Education through Tennis” is conceptualised to provide children between the ages of 6yrs to 18yrs with access to a world class tennis experience. Interested children with their parents consent are provided with age appropriate equipment and facilities as well as state-of-the-art age-appropriate coaching. It is the objective of the Foundation to one-day establish its own dedicated tennis academy.

As part of its programmes, children enrolled in the Ekan Terra Foundation’s camps and programmes will receive homework support in fundamental literacy subjects of English language (spoken, reading and writing) and mathematics all in an after-school, weekends and school holidays programme. Part of the non-tennis curriculum will also include awareness raising on key themes of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as access to education, gender equality, sustainability, climate action and the responsibilities of every individual towards the sustainable use of nature’s resources. The children will also be provided access to a life skills swimming programme. The Foundation’s camp experiences will sometimes be residential and international and included children from Europe and the US sharing the passion of tennis with local children during the school holidays. Children in the programme will be expected to demonstrate a continuing measurable commitment to their education and to the values of the Ekan Terra programme. The Foundation will develop and maintain close partnerships with the parents and schools to ensure that the children maintain appropriate primary focus on school throughout their time at the Academy.

Ekan (rhymes with “a can”) is from the Fanti language spoken in Ghana’s coastal regions and has diverse meanings depending on context: “Ekan” means “leading”. This evokes the Academy’s pioneering, first-of-a-kind vision targeted at children in rural communities. “Ekan” also means “light”: the Academy will serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for rural children. “Ekan” also means the “future”, emphasising the Foundation’s long-term vision.

PARTNERSHIPS:

Endorsements:

“We support the vision and purpose of the proposed Ekan Terra Tennis Academy in Ghana in providing educational support programs through the sport of tennis for children in its surrounding communities. The programs are very much in line with the mission and values of the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation in Jacksonville, Florida. We wish Ekan Terra Tennis Academy success in this objective”.

Frederick Kwame Banson

Founder and Chair

Frederick has a lifetime of interest and passion for the sport of tennis ever since he was introduced to the sport as a 12yrs old in Ghana. He plays and follows tennis regularly and encourages everyone around him to do the same. This passion is the drive in his vision as founder and promoter of the Ekan Terra Foundation established to promote the sport of tennis to children in not so well-off communities especially in Ghana. Frederick is a dual Ghanaian/Belgian citizen who completed high school in Ghana. He in 1985 enrolled at the Université Nationale de la Cote D’Ivoire where he obtained a DLFP diploma in French and then moved to the United Kingdom where he continued his studies in French language at the Institut Français du Royaume Uni in London. Frederick went on to obtain a Bachelor of Laws – LLB (Hons) degree from the University of London. Frederick pursued a professional interest in Human Resources Management and obtained a diploma in Human Resources Management from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (Assoc CIPD) in the United Kingdom. Frederick added to his Human Resources Management competencies by obtaining an accreditation as an employment and workplace dispute mediator and is a member of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Assoc.CIArb).

Frederick is currently an employee of the Vienna based European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and specialises in Human Resources Management. Prior to taking up employment in Vienna, he worked at the Brussels offices of Jones Day, a leading US corporate law firm as well as at the European Commission and briefly at the European Parliament. Frederick is married to Lika Banson and a father. Frederick is passionate about development issues especially with a focus on the human element. He is devoted to impacting global developmental inequalities through his advocacy. He speaks fluently Fanti, Twi and Ga which are widely spoken in Ghana in addition to French, German and Italian.