On Friday (that would have been the 30th of March) Breakthrough Sports Academy had our first “Drop in Sports Camp” for 2007. BSA has three grounds at which we offer coaching & football. The main grounds certainly attract most of the attention, and are central for all of the coaches to meet. Our Drop in Sports Camps fall under our “Outreach” programs. Our aim is to target those kids we don’t have in our regular programs, and to cause some commotion at our ‘outreach’ grounds.
As we moved deeper into Luangwa compound, the stares become longer, & more children are curiously calling “mzungu”. It is safe for me to move around in compounds (aka shanty towns), but it is certainly uncommon for white people to spend time within the compounds.
We coordinated the event with the help of Zilole, the young man who coaches most of teams at Kampala grounds. Zilole has re-inspired me in every respect. We had over fifty children participate (we were hoping for about thirty), and they all must have been under 14 years old. Zilole didn’t flinch. He had ALL of the kids up, organized, singing & dancing. I was amazed. All of the kids adore him, & somehow he manages to get these kids to play football in an organized manner.
Zilole is always quiet during our coaches meetings, & only ever quietly requested that we coaches try to make it out to his grounds. Now I understand why. There are so many kids, & there is so much potential for the grounds to be an enormous hub of activity, but he certainly can’t do it alone. Both the Director of BSA & myself are hoping to recruit some coaches to help him out, & to get more than football happening at the grounds (some educational components such as HIV/AIDS education, active living, leadership development, and team building would be so beneficial to the kids in these communities).
I love how my perceptions of “success” have changed during my time in Lusaka. Our program started 45 minutes late, & one of the facilitators pitched up at the grounds when we were supposed to be finishing the program. But the fact that we attracted so many kids (16 of whom were young girls), & that all of the children who participated had so much fun counter those minor “upsets”.
I continue to be humbled by young Zambians I meet. Zilole couldn’t thank me enough for being out there. It makes no sense to me why it matters that I go, and then I realize that he feels like he’s finally getting the support he needs from the “greater BSA”. I feel revitalized, and so do my colleagues. It’s a wonderful feeling to want to give more. If I ever manage to get more of Zilole’s “story” (in my broken Nyanja), I’ll be sure to include it on my blog.
Malanga (director of BSA) Zilole nearby
She looks so happy!
George teaching 'chinese baseball'
Zilole circling up the troops
Peter.
More kids
Damn, that kid is soooo cute. I want to pick him up! What's his name?
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