Day 2 of the coaching started in crystal blue skies and a scorching sun. The team having enjoyed the ambiance of a saturday night in Lira, including the “no-guns club” and meeting the Uganda equivalent of the Soprano family. Ed’s dynamic warm up, including the “dance like a white man” soon put pay to any post evening sluggishness.

Despite Ed asking the teachers to “be faithful” to the start time of 10am, predictably only 20% coaches were there at 10am, and by the end of the session we had 32 (6 more than yesterday). After having let the teachers just play with no real coaching points given the day before, today was all about getting them familiar with the well tested teaching method of demonstration and drip feeding the coaching points with a review at the end. We also tried to get the group to emphasise AIDS awareness messages with each coaching point. Be faithful to the coaching point, abstain from throwing the ball away from your partner, protect your hands were just some of the messages they came up with themselves. But it is not just AIDS awareness that this project is aiming for, but using cricket to bring together communities. Given the fact that the teachers will be teaching some of those most adversely affected by the conflict this is something incredibly important. Cricket is a fantastic tool for
bringing together different genders and ethnicity.

It being Sunday, the sounds of the singing congregations reverberated around the ground, battling with the more secular sounds of the local boozers. Patrick, one of the elder members of the group led the teachers in prayer. None of us being religious were impressed with what he said.

An earlier finish to allow the teachers to spend sunday with their families meant a few hours of adventure for Ed and Lee. Having “negotiated” the hire of a couple of bikes, both set off for a tour of the local area, a first for CWB. Our heroes were subjected to lots of giggling and laughing, and tooting of horns at the site of two
“athletic” musingos (white boys) struggling up barely tarred hills with only one gear working (though Lee was convinced it was Ed’s “fitness” vest that was the cause of the mirth and derision). The offer of a game of football with some very athletic and fast ugandan’s was sensibly passed up. Lots of rural images of Africa of thatched huts, banana fields and kids playing in barefoot. A magical experience.

The absence of any cars makes this such a peaceful place. It is a true pleasure being here.