Day 5 – Kids, Committees & Goodbyes

After the excitement of meeting Roger Milla the team began Day 5 two men down (Curse of Cameroon!) and back in Mevick Grammar School, picking up where they had left off on Monday with games of non-stop and shotgun cricket, but only after Jules had led the 60 kids, who all play in the after school cricket club, in a dance based warm-up. The enthusiasm was infectious and the reluctance to leave was tempered only by the knowledge that, as on Monday, we were returning to the Asanti School. Almost exclusively French speaking the Asanti schoolchildren are hyper-competitive, and after another Jules-led dance intro the kids were split into four teams and two game stations for a mini-league tournament of shotgun cricket. The teams of the Warriors, Cheetahs, Chelsea!, and  Manchester City! Battled it out for school supremacy. It was competitive mayhem but highly entertaining and the scenes of celebration as winners were announced are as yet unmatched on this trip. 

After a brief return to the hotel for lunch the team, reinforced by the two pale but determined volunteers missing from the morning session, headed off to St Therese's, a new school on the CWB itinerary. The plan was to allow the local coaches to run the sessions, which under the befrocked watchful eye of one of the Brothers/Fathers went fantastically well. The local coaches really have taken the CWB messages into their consciousness and consistently integrate the ABC's into the technical aspects of coaching, although in French the ABCT was more AFCE – Abstinance, Fidelity, Condom, Examination. Unfortunately, we had but a shortened session due to both the children being late arriving and the need for the team toc move on but as well as four carousels we did manage to get two games running and in the course of that hour another 60 kids had been CWB'd!

From St Therese's the team were then bussed by the ever reliable Joseph to to another part of Yaounde where we were 'received' by the Cameroonian Olympic Committee, all of them! In a very formal ceremony, complete with Agenda and secretarial announcement, we were pre-welcomed by the Deputy President, then welcomed for real by the President before Dave, as 'Chef de la Delegation des Voluntaires du Commonwealth', thanked the Committee for the warm welcomes the team had received since arriving in Cameroon and gifts were exchanged. After a 'family photograph' we were then invited to have high tea on the lawns consisting of kebabs and cakes!

Off then to the Ministry of Sport and Physical Education to meet the Minister's Minister. (ie. the Number 2). Dr. Oumarou Tade. The most jovial and well humoured man we have met so far, he even engaged in our banter and offered his, and importantly the Ministers, full support for future cricket development plans in the schools curriculum. An extremely productive meeting, the Cameroon Cricket Federation was asked to submit development plans and requirements for Ministry consideration.

Official duties done, the team headed back to the hotel to refresh and prepare for Jo's departure with a trip to the local lively nightspot of Bastos for a pizza!
As Country Manager, Jo has been responsible for working with the CCF to plan the itinerary for the trip and she will be sorely missed by the team over the next 10 days for her local knowledge, her coaching and her endless positivity and can do approach to each minor deviation from plan. Safe trip.