We arrived at a new school to find our playing area was surrounded by the school buildings, providing a cauldron of an atmosphere for our cricket session, as the kids that weren’t playing watched on through windows or looked on from the first and second floor balconys. A few days in now, the sessions are getting pretty slick and the kids got to practice batting, bowling and catching before a quick wrap up and straight on to our next school.
Back at a school we had previously visited to coach the younger kids, this time we had time with the older children who were incredibly keen to play rapid fire, a game that allows the players to hit the balls off cones to score runs. Some of the fielding was bordering on the kamikaze but was certainly electric. In the game I was involved in teachers and volunteers lined up to help even up the contest, only for Ally to demonstrate how to play an air shot! With very little flat terrain, getting two successful games in felt like a win.
After a remarkably swift sit down lunch stop (spanish omlettes and chips for nearly all the party), we arrived early at our third school of the day to find a very large playing area, perfect for Wednesday’s festival. This meant that we had the pleasure of meeting loads of the kids, chatting to them about their lives and answering their many questions. It also gave us the opportunity to set a new world record for high fives (possibly).
The Head was very keen to support cricket and over 200 kids got involved in our session as we took them through all the cricket elements before starting multiple games of rapid fire. The Head then informed us that the rest of the school would be dismissed in 5 minutes and, anticipating carnage from many hundreds of swarming kids, we very quickly wrapped up and got back to the bus. By now the kids were indeed everywhere and our expert driver Eddie, a veteran of CWB Rwanda trips, had to proceed at a snails pace to avoid any accidents with several of the team walking alongside to stop any of the excited kids getting too close.
On to school 4 then, having picked up the well rested Harry and the little less well rested Lee (who had been working at the RCA offices). As so often happens the number of kids that turned up was a lot more than what we were previously told, but we adapted pretty easily as we had a decent flat space to use. Just as the rain was starting it was time to wrap up, but not before we got the chance to have a good conversation with the kids, covering many things. For some reason Ed decided to challenge a teenage boy to a sprint race, inevitably coming a rather distant second.
We then had our second escorted bus exit of the day as many hundreds of kids swarmed around the bus to wave us off.
Meze Fresh was the restaurant of choice in the evening, primarily to avoid the somewhat flexible time period between ordering and delivery of food over the last few nights. Some ventured out to a very nice bar just round the corner from the hotel…a new discovery and one we’re likely to return to. It turned out the bar was run by a Rwandan who spends much of his time in the UK, living in Bedford, where Ally lives. Our new Rwandan friend clearly held Bedford in high regard, only for Ally to describe it with a couple of choice words!
Onward then to festival day tomorrow!
Addendum:
This blog would not be complete without a photo of Jamie Barton and Jamie Burton, the latter who has picked up the rather unfortunate nickname of “the lesser Jamie”. (In our defence we had to distinguish somehow given their virtually identical name and appearance!) It has to be seen to be believed so here for your viewing pleasure is the two Jamie’s side by side. A few days in we’re just about able to distinguish between the two!
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