Two weeks ahead of my project starting in Kenya, Cricket Without Boundaries arranged for all the volunteers (including those on the Uganda and Rwanda projects) to attend a training weekend in another exotic location I have never visited before; Birmingham. The training weekend is a chance to bond with the other volunteers on your trip, to learn more about the aims of the project and hear from the experiences of the trustees and long-standing volunteers.
Typically the weekend is split between practical sessions in a school gym and information sessions in a classroom. The Bluecoat School in Birmingham had kindly donated their facilities for this purpose, their immaculate School grounds certain to be miles removed from what awaits us in Kenya.
The practical sessions were a good chance to brush up on my coaching skills. As a very rusty ‘Level One’ coach who qualified nearly ten years ago and hasn’t actively coached in close to five it was very useful to have a dry run. Also it allowed us to think about how best to incorporate the ‘ABC’ message into our lessons. ‘ABC’ is a common acronym in Africa in the HIV awareness campaign. A stands for Abstain, Be is Be faithful and C is for Condom.
There was also an opportunity to learn more about the facts and myths surrounding HIV and AIDS in one of the classroom based sessions. I must admit that this session was a real eye-opener for me. Whether it is British character and natural reserve, or the fact that AIDS isn’t as common in modern Britain, I must admit to having large areas of ignorance about the disease, and there seems to be a natural involuntary reaction of nerves and tightening stomach muscles even when someone else is talking. Speaking about sexually transmitted diseases is not something that comes easily to many people I imagine, I can still remember how forced and embarrassing sex education classes were at school. But if I feel uncomfortable, even in a room full of new friends with no intention of judging me, you can only imagine what it must be like in an African society with all the stigmas attached, and where 8% of the country are infected. So I promised myself to try and take a deep breath, overcome my natural shyness, and be as open and honest as possible when I am in Africa.
The weekend ended with a competition on the ‘Crazy Catch’ device, a kind of faulty tight-sprung mattress where the ball bounces off at unusual angles. Somehow I managed to win first prize with my score of 48, something that will come as a massive shock to anyone who has had the misfortune of relying on my fielding in a game.
Now as the days to the project count down and inversely the butterflies in my stomach begin to multiply it just remains for me to say that I can’t wait to touch down in Kenya and tell you all about my experiences of Africa.
Gareth