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| With the best hosts in Kabwe |
So far I have spent 170 days living the dream in Zambia and today it dropped down to
single digits as the last 9 days began. The past few weeks, have at times felt
a little frustratingly quiet, but end of year exams have meant many of the
in-school programmes such as PE lessons, Girls in Action and sometimes sport
specific sessions have died down. Originally this drop in activity worried me
since I initially attributed it to the absence of the IDEALS programme but time
has shown me this isn't the case and is simply the time of year in which we
find ourselves.
One big highlight over the past three or so weeks has been the
opportunity to go on a little 'road trip' around Zambia. One of the key reasons
I extended my stay was to gain a greater insight into the work Sport in Action
do, especially that outside of IDEALS and particularly outside of Lusaka. Time
spent in Kabwe, then subsequently Livingstone, Kalomo and Monze have allowed to
me to not only work with the various Sport in Action teams in those provinces
but has also given me a greater experience of Zambia as a country as a whole,
not just the city of Lusaka. I've loved witnessing the differing ways each
province operates, the challenges they face in terms of rurality and the
differing programmes they provide for the local communities.
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| Supporting the Tackle Africa Team |
In Kabwe I spent a day supporting my friends at Tackle Africa with a
Level 0.5 refresher course before staying with Mary-Rose, the area coordinator,
helping deliver PE and football for a couple of days. I loved seeing first-hand
their emphasis on using sport as a tool with every single session including
either a message incorporated within it, or discussion groups at the end. This
has one again (not take I needed it) highlighted the crucial nature of sport
within Zambia and how it truly can be used as a tool to educate, empower and
inspire. Even better, Mary-Rose and her family hosted me in their home and I
couldn't have wished for better hosts. I genuinely felt at home and would have
loved to have had the chance to stay longer, especially having my new little
friend Florence for company! Despite her disturbing nap time on a few occasions, I couldn't have wished for a better little buddy to spend my week with.
Following this I was fortunate enough to be able to
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| Umutima Family in Livingstone |
experience
Livingstone for the fourth time this summer and it's fair to say that place
holds some incredible memories. Emily and Ella, two friends from the UK along
with Lyson were heading to Livingstone for a little holiday and I joined them.
It's a welcome break from life in Lusaka and for once I treated myself to a few
days of doing nothing; despite seeing that place numerous times its beauty
still captivates me and even now, and even with its lack of water, I stood there in
awe and was blown away by its beauty. It will forever be one of my favourite
places, and any chance offered to go there will be grabbed with both hands. If
you have never been, I would highly highly recommend it and for me personally,
going earlier in the year such as June would be best as the amount of water
blows you away and takes your breath away, literally.
My road trip then took me to Kalomo for the weekend where I supported
Lucy and her team to deliver the finals of their Gender Based Violence Football
Leagues, making a special appearance as ref during all four finals before
heading to Monze to visit Frevy. In Monze I spent a few days shadowing their
work and even had my first shot at being a Coach Educator, delivering a
workshop on ‘Session Management’ for the local Peer Leaders. Each visit has not
only highlighted the fantastic work Sport in Action do in using sport as a
tool, but the dedicated and passionate individuals they have working on the
ground. I loved the chance to experience different parts of Zambia as one of
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| Trying my hand at Coach Education |
my
favourite things to do is to wander without purpose or reason, but simply to
explore and this I was able to do many times.
It’s crazy that I am now into the last few days and the home straight really
is nearly in sight… I guess it’s time to buy my last presents, start saying my
goodbyes and treasuring every last moment I have here as before I know it I will be leaving the sun behind and returning to the not so sunny England!
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| You can help but stand (or sit) in wonder at this place |
