Progression in Nakuru
Anyone that has ever attended either an interview for a CWB trip or the training weekend will have seen the inspirational film of Maggie Kamau talking about the impact HIV and AIDS has had on her class and how cricket has helped to educate and fascinate her pupils. With cricket first being introduced to her school, Baharini, by CWB only 3 years ago it is rightly a huge success story for us – especially with the school now regularly winning festivals in the area and proudly boasting of five pupils having represented Kenya at U15 & U19 levels recently. Our team therefore were understandably really excited to be visiting here first this morning to kick off the Nakuru and final leg of our adventure. We were not disappointed. With our ranks now swelled with the addition of 3 further local Kenyan coaches (Joseph, PJ & Mary) it allowed head coach Gellers and our other 2 more experienced coaches, Vards and John to take 30 representatives from the school team for a session of ‘pairs’ cricket – the first time we had been able to do so all trip. Alongside this, 6 more games of Kwik Cricket took place on the main field with the younger and slightly less experienced children taking part. What followed was an amazing hour where child after child came to the crease with near perfect set ups and demonstrated a passion for hitting the ball a very long way. This was backed up by some of the best catching you will ever see from youngsters (anywhere in the World) as they threw themselves across the dusty outfield with upmost commitment and natural competitiveness. With such a spectacle it did not take us long to realise that something is really working with cricket in Nakuru!
Our second school of the day was Flamingo Primary School where we were greeted with the site of yellow CWB equipment already in use. I think it is fair to say that the kit has seen better days but it still served as an encouraging sight yet again that cricket is being played with regularity. The format of the session followed the previous one with the ‘team’ (of 40!) being siphoned off whilst the the now finely tuned coaching machine got to work with the remaining 160 children. Again the skills on show were excellent with a particular highlight being the power of some of the throwing arms – several of the coaches had to take evasive action to avoid return throws aimed directly at their heads!
Our final school of the day saw a CWB first visit to Nakuru Christian Centre Academy. Here the majority of the children were of Sudanese decent where English was their 3rd language. This allowed our CWB Ambassador, Nicholas to come to the fore again as he spoke to them in his usual fun but calm manner which made for a great afternoon of skill sessions and planted another cricket seed in an enthusiastic school.
So, a great start to our coaching in Nakuru where there has been a noticeable step up in standard. With CWB, on the whole, having introduced cricket here less than 3 years ago, this is something as a charity we can be rightly proud of. However, what has struck us all today is the commitment and enthusiasm of the local Kenyan coaches – most of whom are products of the CWB coaching programme themselves. Without them, and the work they have so clearly been doing throughout the year, the cricket programme would be nowhere near as successful. Cricket in Nakuru, and indeed Cricket Kenya in general, already owes these guys a great debt of gratitude.
The day ended with a hearty meal in town before we all retired for a comedy evening of karaoke and ‘bad dad’ dancing! Highlights of which were George’s rendition of ‘Lady in Red’ – I don’t think any of us will ever be able to hear that song again without thinking of him, Mary’s amazing dancing – wow! And Nicholas’ rendition of….. Well, none of us knew exactly what it was but he seemed to enjoy himself! Good job you are an excellent cricket coach!