CWB first-time volunteer and resident welfare and glamour officer Natasha Bingley tells the inspirational stories that characterised Day Two in Arua:

So hard we went this morning in terms of numbers. Paired with the most inspirational, if not completely bonkers, coach The Dream Team was created!

As I looked around there were five fantastic coaching sessions going on with about twenty-five children each. I could hear the teachers that were taught yesterday hammering the ABC messages in to their coaching. With some more reserved teachers really coming into their own on familiar ground teaching their own children.

The Dream Team on the other hand had two schools of twenty children each, one hundred and twenty children from the school neighbouring the field and about twenty random children we picked up along the way. Organised chaos fuelled by the limited space due to the lion’s share of the field being consumed by a local football team and their screaming mob of supporters.

It was great to see so many children being touched by the work of CWB and how the coached rounded up the long morning sessions with positive HIV and Aids messages, ahead of tomorrows festival.

The highlight of my morning, although not entirely cricket related, would definitely be teaching the twenty random children how to play duck duck goose. Apparently making the Mzungu (white person) the goose as many times as possible was hilarious! For me being beaten by a five year old several times was a little Awkward Turtle…..

The afternoon saw the team split to visit two local schools to build on the work of the morning but to also reach more students in the school. At the Mvara Secondary School we started with a warm up that involved running and throwing a ball at the same time. Split into three teams I noticed a girl in team two that didn’t believe, with only one leg and using crutches, that she could join in. However, I wasn’t letting her get out of it and I became her arms as I ran with her. Later watching her get involved in the game demonstrated how inclusive cricket really can be.

I now sit here under a tree at Mvara, writing this blog, with about thirty children peering over my shoulder and a girl I have named Smiler sitting on my knee. Smiler hasn’t yet cracked a smile but she seems happy enough playing with my iPhone snuggled into my chest. I am truly having the most amazing time ever but Smiler is reminding me of how much I long to hold my own so very fortunate children. However the smiles on these children’s faces and the thought that I might just prevent one child from contracting HIV makes it all worth it.