Day 8
Well the first week completed and what a week. There are words that I could use to describe it but seeing as this is a Charity Website and many families read it I will stick to stressful, re-re-rescheduled ( if such a word ) and trying. This was through no fault of the many people working flat out to get our project into local schools. Our Local coach Vusi had celebrated his 26th birthday during the week but looked as though he had aged about 5 years during the week after being let down day after day by private schools pulling out of the arrangement for use to visit and deliver our coaching and ABC & T’S.
But with Vusi’s hard work aided by national team coach Joseph Angara , the ever helpful and my new best friend Faz ( Botswanas very own Del Boy ) and Girish from the BCA the week eventually came to a close
Saturday morning and we checked out of our home for the week ” Stay Easy Inn ” and boarded the bus which thankfully after a last minute development had managed to keep hold of and we were off for the 5 hour journey to FrancisTown
After my time in Kenya last year I knew this was a chance to catch on some much needed shut eye and although I had tried to explain this to the team and the four young local coaches that were joining us on the trip the music was soon pumping and the joking and laughter was a plenty.
This didn’t lays long though as I awoke from one of the many cat naps and removed my headphones to discover that the bus was now silent apart from the local radio that was keeping our faithful driver ‘ Tefo ‘ company and the noise of Ali ( team tutor ) snoring which I had come immune to during the week as he had been my room mate for the week at Stay Easy.
The trip finally came to an end and we arrived at our new home “The Metcourt” . Once again we discovered that there was no pool , no Spa, no Mini Bar and no Jacuzzi Bath. ( you always live in hope), but never the less a very comfortable clean room with Air Conditioning and duvets. After my trip last year you will understand that this is pure comfort.
Finally I got to meet the legend that is Clement . A local coach for the BCA and a trusted coach that works along with the CWB while we are not in country to carry on the work with local schools and coaches. A character to say the least but someone that had arranged a very full schedule packed with coach education, orphanages and school which after the previous week was a sight for sore eyes.
So we began , off to the local orphanage for the Deaf and Dumb. While this is something that’s close to my heart with plenty of close friends being Deaf and having work with Deaf children at my local club ( big hello to Portslade Cricket Club ) I do not expect what was to come.
Upon arrival the children slowly appeared from the classrooms and various places around the grounds. Clem made his way over to the now formed huddle of children and was performing his usual warm up act which the children seemed to understand and we’re being to get excited . We then dived them into 2 groups to begin the games that our coaches had set up ready to play.
Now for those of you that work with or coach kids you will know that they take a while to settle down and usually have to be explained to 3 or 4 times what they are to do before they actually get it. Well it was no more then 2 minutes and with two great demos both games were under way with all children demonstrating great skills and a great understanding of what they need to do.
I have to say and I know after speaking to many of the other coaches ( from uk and local ) that the following 1 1/2 hours were the most enjoyable of the trip so far. The smiles and the excitement had now got the glow back into the coaches faces after what can only be described as a difficult week
We were lucky enough to be joined at the orphanage by the local television broadcasting team who are doing a piece on the work Cricket Without Boundaries do within Botswana and with myself and Clement having been interviewed for the broadcast we said our long goodbyes with the promise that we would return before setting off back to Gaborone.
It was back to The Metcourt for a well deserved shower a change off clothes and a few well earned Windhoek’s.
A nice meal in the local Spurs restaurant ( which Ali is over the moon with as it named after his beloved football team) followed with the coaches now full of beans and ready for the week ahead
Bring it on Francistown we are ready
Vards