Sports Day Zambian Style

A school sports day Zambian style always sounds promising and it's fair to say it delivered. Last week I experienced my first ever sports day in a Zambian school and it was more than entertaining. A 5:45am alarm resounded as we woke just before sunrise to get ready to head to the school for 7:30am. In Zambia a lot of people use the sun rising and setting as a way of living, with a lot schools beginning way before many of us would ever dream of being awake. This can be for numerous reasons but mainly because schools do not have the capacity or space to house every student so operate their days on a split timetable; half the students in the morning and half in the afternoon, running sometimes off at 6am until 5pm schedule! 

Each house proudly displaying their banners

On arrival at the school it was quiet, as we took our places at the table ready to help record scores, direct events and add assistance where possible. I was very impressed but kinda chuckled at seeing all of the key member of staff dressed in retro Adidas classic green tracksuits, the ones that featured quite heavily in the 90s. Where they got them from I'll never know but I've probably never seen better dressed teachers in my life! A sight I won't forget quickly. Before we knew it the songs began, the chants rose as each 'house' made their way out onto the sports field. Although today's sports day was for the intermediate and senior students the youngsters were involved and followed them with banners and drums. One thing I will always love about Zambia, and about Africa generally as a continent is the way the people simply radiate happiness. Never in a school in the UK would you see a group of students singing and dancing spontaneous to music, yet here students ranging from 4 to 16 all joined together to represent their house in true style. 

Time to announce the winners

Four houses competed in your usual sports day events such as 100m, 200m and 400m, plus some more 'traditional' Zambian related events such as the water bottle race where students had to carry a water bottle on their head and run a race and the needle and thread race, where one student began with a thread at one end and another with a needle at the other end and they had to run and put the thread through the needle eye using only one hand. Something very different but probably an event that will help develop much needed life skills for many of these children. The four houses Lumumba, Cairo, Cha Cha Cha and Nkwazi took part all morning in what was a very closely competed sports day. The students continued to entertain with their athletic prowess as well as their chants, with many encouraging pressure from the other teams. The last race was ran and the scores tallied up as we all congregated to hear the winners. The Head Teacher or at least a very senior member of staff gave a closing speech which probably differed greatly to that you would usually hear within a school. The focus on taking part shifted to winners and losers as she thanked those who lost, for without them there would be no winners. 

A proud moment for the staff as well as the students of Cha Cha Cha

Then came the dance off. One thing I've learnt whilst in Zambia is that us muzungo's do not have a scratch on the local people when it comes to dancing. Although not very hard, I've seen many four year olds who can shake their hips better than me! Thankfully I wasn't the one summoned to the dance floor but Katy, one of the IDEALS students, was called up and giving an absolute dancing lesson by a four year old! And even I think she would admit that she lost, this little girl had so much swag, dancing with not an inch of emotion on her face... Something I couldn't do! 

A funny ending to what had been a great morning. I'm glad to see schools in Zambia placing an emphasis on sport, taking the time to schedule and organise a sports day. As with all 'competitive' events, there are negatives where kids get demoralised if they lose but it was fantastic to see everyone giving their all and competing the best they could to represent their house. Another fantastic morning spent in my life as a IDEALS Team Leader.

Week Four and Life in Zambia Continues to Suprise Me

Just like that another week in Zambia has passed and I'm fast approaching the one month mark. To try and sum up this past week would take many words but there are three days and experiences I would like to highlight.

Alice and I with the Zambia Women's U20s National Team

On Thursday I was invited to attend and help coach the Zambian Women's U20s National Team at the Olympic Youth Development Centre. Often our days here are spent out in the communities, working in the schools at the heart of where it's most needed and most valued. Yet I welcomed the chance to get a glimpse of the 'elite' end of sport, not only for the chance to help coach but also to gain a greater understanding of the wider sphere of sport within Zambia. I loved the experience but also found it interesting to see how a national team operated and delivered it's programme. In addition to this, my Bristol Academy teammate Alice Evans also attended the session simply to observe but on arrival found herself introduced to the Head Coach and directed to the goalkeepers where she was expected to deliver a session for at least 90 minutes. Suppose if you're ever going to pushed outside your comfort zone that was it, thrown in straight at the deep end but a session she will never forget.

Cooking Shepherd's Pie on the BBQ at British Night

On Friday evening we hosted our British Night. This is always a highlight of IDEALS when we invite all of the Peer Leaders and Sport in Action staff over to our house for a traditional British meal. We opted to serve Shepherd's Pie, sausages and mash, jacket potatoes with cheese and beans, pasta bake and vegetables. For dessert we made jelly and ice cream and apple crumble. The food was prepped, house tidied and all that needed doing was a few last final bits and re-heating of the food. However Lusaka had different plans and a power cut from 2pm until about 8pm meant we had to wing it and cook most of it on the BBQ... Who knew shepherd's pie could be reheated on the BBQ?! It probably shouldn't be but we did and we've yet to hear any bad stories of food poisoning or dodgy stomachs so all in all it was a success :) hosting 20 plus guests in addition to the team of 15 was challenging but overall I would say we nailed it given the situation!! 

Katy in the Millennium Radio Studios in Lusaka

Alice's and my visit to the OYDC on Thursday generated quite some media attention and we featured in Friday's Zambia Times newspaper. Also today I spent the morning at Millennium Radio for an interview. On arrival at Findeco House we ventured to Floor 23 and found the home of one of Zambia's radio stations. Through football I've attended quite a few radio interviews but nothing quite like this; the presenter turned up at 10am when the show was about to start, a brief introduction followed as we explained IDEALS, UK Sport and why we were in Zambia and soon we found ourselves in the studio. Although rather make shift with foam insulated walls, I was pretty impressed with the set up and the presenter's genuine interest about why we were in Zambia. Katy, one of the student volunteers, accompanied me to the studio and soon found herself on the Saturday Sports Panel alongside myself and an athletic's coach. A half hour interview about IDEALS, Sport in Action, football, coaching, sport in England, Zambian food and music, my football career and even the Women's World Cup followed as we chatted LIVE on air. Hopefully it's helped raise the profile of our work in Zambia especially as this is the tenth year and will further helped generate a wider interest in all of the fantastic work Sport in Action (one of our partner NGOs in Zambia) do. 

The presenter was that impressed with us that we've been asked to attend his sports show live on Zambian TV tomorrow evening which was more than quickly agreed too. Opportunities like this, although a great experience for us, will hopefully only help generate interest in all the sport for development work happening in Zambia highlighting the valuable impact UK Sport, International Inspiration and Sport in Action have in the communities throughout.

I can't believe I've nearly been here a month but as you can tell I am absolutely loving it. The weeks are jam packed full of memorable experiences, and I have plenty more to share already so watch this space.

A week of two halves

My guest coaching appearance in Munali on Tuesday

This past week has been a tale of two halves but both equally as amazing as each. At the start of the week all of the students spent three days on placement, at their sites delivering PE lessons, coaching sessions and workshop to the communities they work in. On Monday I visited the Special School in Chinama, which both the Munali and Mtendre placement students cover. This was definitely one of my highlights of the week as the evident power of sport was visible and the opportunity to work with us was valued more than ever. Often, both here in Zambia and in the UK, sport and opportunities such as those offered through IDEALS are given to able-bodied students and through mainstream education, where it can be taken for granted and under-valued. Yet those with special educational needs are often excluded and missed out and never given the chance to fully enjoy all that sport has to offer. And my visit to the special school further highlighted the importance and value that should be placed on ensuring all individuals, in whatever walk of life are given the chance to enjoy sport. On arriving at the school, we were welcomed with open arms with smiling faces running and jumping on us because they simply wanted a hug. The session we delivered was shaped all around using a parachute and each and every child in that lesson was smiling throughout and loved the chance just to play and do something so simple yet something they’ve probably never been given the chance to do. I have probably never left a place feeling more loved than I did here and I will 100% be making the time to go back and visit.

Victoria Falls in all its beauty

In the latter part of the week we all travelled to Livingstone for a long weekend off and a chance to explore and see another part of Zambia. Although this part of the week differs greatly from what we are all here in Zambia to do, I think it acts as a fantastic opportunity to take some time off, relax, and more importantly experience another incredible part of Zambia; the Victoria Falls. It was amazing to see so many of the students step outside of their comfort zone and do things they had never done before such as bungee jump off Victoria Falls Bridge and white water rafting down the Zambezi. Plus many got to go on a safari in Botswana, walk with lions and go on a sunset cruise. I decided to join in with the white water rafting on Saturday and despite experiencing my first ever genuine near death experience I loved every moment but will probably never do it again. On Sunday I treated myself the opportunity to go and walk with lions and it was amazing. To not only see such incredible creatures so close up but to be able to touch them and walk with them was definitely something I will never forget. Despite looking terrified in the photos I can promise you I was very much enjoying it! This was my third visiting Victoria Falls and it’s fair to say the place still blows me away. It is nature at its very best and

Walking with Lions (I promise I am not as scared as I look!)

I think I could easily sit and admire it all day long.

The IDEALS programme is an international initiative of UK Sport, supported by International Inspiration (IN) and delivered in partnership with the Wallace Group of universities and is designed to provide an incredible opportunity to allow UK students the chance to develop themselves and their employability through a peer to peer sports-based programme and this past week demonstrated two examples of this. Both the tireless work the students do daily in the communities and the weekend in Livingstone have given everyone the chance to gain a greater understanding of Zambia, learn more about themselves professionally and personally and has allowed us as a group to grow closer than ever. We may only be three weeks in but I am already so proud of each student currently in Zambia with me. They give their all each day to the children they work with and they are genuinely changing lives; As they give they are getting so much more back in return, so much they would never have expected and this in itself highlights why IDEALS is such a fantastic programme that I would recommend to all!

The sun setting over the Zambezi River.
This Is Africa!

'Learn to Inspire' School Baleuni

Yesterday marked two weeks in Zambia and part of me can't believe I have been here this long already, yet it also feels like time is flying by. I only have 16 weeks left which may seem like a long time but I know it'll fly by! As I wrote this last night I was sat under the most beautiful sunset reflecting on what has been a busy, challenging but rewarding week in Zambia. 

Learn to Inspire School in Baleuni, Zambia

On Friday I had the most amazing afternoon as I got to visit the school we had helped build in Baleuni. Ever since I returned from Zambia I have always had a heart to build or be part of building a school which acts as both an educational tool and a centre to train and inspire the next generation of sports leaders. And 6 months ago after what had been an eventful journey of highs and lows, we at the charity Umutima, made the decision to partner with Baleuni United Sports Academy to support them in completing their school. They had started to build a building about 5 years ago but due to lack of funds and no government support they had only completed the foundations and part of some walls... A building that was very much unusable was left. However with our financial support and commitment, the school over the past 6 months has been completed including the electrics, windows, roofing and an outside playground, changing what was once an empty and lifeless space to a bright, vibrant and welcoming building that come September will home a new intake of students. These individuals will receive a quality education as well as training to enable them to be world changers in their communities. 

To stand there in front of a building knowing that I played a part, albeit small, in making it happen felt incredible. Words struggle to articulate what I felt in that moment as I walked around the corner to see this building proudly bearing our charity logo, standing tall for all to see. To think that every mile in my John O'Groats to Land's End cycle in 2012 was worth the pain and effort to see this, our school, our place to inspire change. 

Proud to have been part of making this place possible

I am excited to start visiting this site regularly to help coach football and to also mentor those who currently work in that community. This place will act as another projects of mine whilst in Zambia and I am looking forward to what can be achieved in the next few months. As you can imagine I am on an absolute high after witnessing this and I just want to say thank you to all those who donated, who fundraised and joined us in seeing this dream fulfilled. This is our school, our place we have made possible and it looks amazing!

Life in Zambia begins...

What a first few days it has been in the life of a Team Leader. On Tuesday all of the students arrived and we officially welcomed the first of our three groups this year. As we travelled to the airport, both Steph and I were excited but also a little apprehensive as this is when we knew it all truly began. Waiting outside Lusaka Airport, the excitement built every time we saw a 'mzungo' as we expected our students. But thankfully before long they had arrived, tired but happy. Travelling from the airport to our house the excitement rose above the tiredness as each of the students grew in happiness and wonder as they looked around and embraced all Zambia was. For many this was their first time in Africa and you could tell, their simple wonder at the smallest of things, reminded me of why I first fell in love with Africa and why that love is as real today as it was then. 

Our open truck tour Zambian Style

A packed first few days allowed the students to get settled in the house, to find their feet and really embrace Zambian life. However, it wasn't until Friday that the joy of Zambia became real for each of us. This was one of my favourite days ever and I think everyone else definitely felt the same! Boarding the truck at Sport in Action we began our tour of the placement sites, travelling in true Zambian style. Venturing to each school the students were evidently blown away by the reception they received, swarms of smiling faces and welcomes greeted us. It was in that moment, as we first drove into St Patrick's Girls School, that the wonder of Zambia really resonated with each and every single student on the programme. Up until this point they had never really seen first-hand why IDEALS was and is such a magical programme, but meeting the children, going into the communities and really seeing Zambia for themselves, was such a special moment. And for myself as a Team Leader I loved sharing in that moment with them and highlighted one of the many reasons why I applied to be back on the programme. It was then that they began to understand the true impact they can have as a coach, and as a person, and how operating as a 'mzungo' (white person) really puts them in a place of influence. Each placement site is different, full of varying challenges but above all full of so much potential to make a difference and really input and enhance the lives of the students they'll meet. 

I, for one can't wait for each of the students to get stuck into their placements and for the stories of life in Zambia to begin. Already we have created memories as a group, moments that will stay with us for a lifetime and I know the next 5 weeks with Group 1 will be full of so many more. Let's the fun begin...

The face says it all, I can't tell you how happy I am to be back here

Goodbye England, it's onwards to Lusaka

Five years ago I came home from the trip of a lifetime in Zambia and vowed that one day I had to return... And guess what today is that day! To say I am excited would be an understatement, but the chance to spend four months in a country I love is the opportunity of a lifetime and I literally cannot wait. The past few weeks build up has been crazy, a mix of excitement coupled with apprehension as i finally get the chance to return to a place I call my home from my home. Somewhat in the way a bride wishes and wants for her wedding to day arrive, I have longed for this day ever since 2010 and now it's here. People have asked if I am nervous, and to some extent maybe. Not because of the task that's ahead of me but because of the subconscious expectations I have built. When visiting a new place you often return with a sense of awe, and wonder, and even now five years on everything about Zambia captivates me; the people, the culture, and the way of life. I'm nervous because I'm worried that my sense of awe may not be there, that I may get frustrated by change I hoped would have happened but hasn't but also saddened at some changes that may have happened that I don't like. A lot can change in five years in the same way I have changed and I am teaching myself to expect these things and to see Zambia as though it was for the first time. I think I have been away long enough that Zambia will still captivate me in the way it first did and the wonder and awe I have of Zambia will be as real as ever. I have also, in the build up to departing, taught myself to appreciate my 2010 experience in its own merit but to be prepared for something new, something different and something a little more challenging.

Brief stop in Dubai en route to Lusaka

I am unsure of what lies ahead, the different experiences I will encounter as a Team Leader rather than a student but all I know is that  I have longed for and wished for this day since 2010 and it has finally arrived. I'm returning to a place I love, to be part of a programme I truly believe in and I am excited at what can be achieved in four months. Yes at times it won't all be positive but I have this opportunity to do something different, to give myself to something greater and I can't wait to see that unfold. So England it's goodbye, I will see you in October but for now it's onwards to Lusaka and to what is going to be the summer of a lifetime. I literally cannot wait!