So that is it for Lira. Day 5 brought the coach education project to an end. Seeing the teachers playing a front foot driving game with their students this afternoon was testamant to how far they have come in a short period of time. All 32 of them had barely heard of cricket, let alone seen it played before. By the end of the 5 days not only were they able to run games with their children, but also deliver simple AIDS awareness messages. Also for those of you that had seen the interviews with Patrick, Erin and Harriet (if you haven’t you must) the understanding of the trauma and difficulties that many of these displaced children face and the importance of sport providing them with confidence and smiles is deeply engrained among the teachers. It has been a deeply humbling experience for us all.

But the teachers were not without their challenges, their time-keeping and the speed at which they actually moved was deeply impressive. But is George who must take the price for most laid back approach to the after lunch stint. With children arriving on mass from various angles, George continued to read the paper in the middle of the pitch, only moving two feet at one stage to throw a ball back to Richard, before reverting back to the Ugandan News. Do watch the clip on the blog, it can’t be done justice by writing about it.

So good bye Lira with your relaxed approach to life, your non-stop African beats, your AK47’s, your cows on the cricket pitch, your one armed comedian, your “waste disposal” family, your formidable lady umpires, your outdoor dancefloors, your “no-gun” nightclubs, your shocking buses with your lino seats, your biblical rainstorms, your hobbit traps in the form of deep pothalls, your non-existent street lights and your wide ranging international cuisine (goat and chips and err goat and chips…). Lira we salute you as one of the most relaxing places we have all every been too. It has been a pleasure to help kick start cricket and CWB will support you in the months and years ahead.

Guru next stop for Rich and Lee. A 30 hour journey back to the UK for Ed, via varied forms of transport, including the infamous GaGa bus line.

Click here for pictures of all the new coaches we have worked with in Lira.