Day 1 – Laikipia

We knew it was going to be hot, and knew it was going to be dusty, but we also knew that the coaching sessions were going be fun and that the children’s enthusiasm was going to be infectious, and we weren’t wrong.

Our morning session was at a primary school about an hour outside of Laikipia, and the team were looking forward to getting stuck in. The newbies of the the group didn’t have time to be nervous as 110 eager school kids came charging towards us. The first sessions were led by CWB ambassadors which gave newbies a chance to watch and learn (and play) and grow in confidence as the day went on, while the more experienced of the team seemed to pick up where they left off from their last trip.

The day’s sessions were focused on FGM and gender equality, elaborating on the messages of breaking the silence on the practice, advocating for change, and together as one team, catchily reinforced as BAT – can you see what they’ve done there? It was also as important to make sure that the kids had fun. It was fantastic to see the girls and boys of all ages batting, catching and bowling at the coaching stations and playing together, and judging by the amount of noise, smiles and laughter, I’m pretty sure that they had an enormous amount of fun.

After a day of coaching almost 600 children and millions of high-fives, we loaded onto the bus for journey back, with some giraffes, zebra and gazelles to spot on the way. Over dinner we reflected on the day, and what worked and what didn’t. With the language barrier being harder than anticipated, we agreed that actions can speak louder than words and the best way to beat the lack of our Swahili is to give demos and get the children playing together and enjoying themselves.

It’s an early night for the gang ahead of an early start tomorrow, and we’ll be sure to be on top our game to give the perfect demos – and a million more high-fives.

Zoe