We had a slow start to the day as we awoke to rain and so cricket was not on the cards. After a nice breakfast of fruit, pancakes and smashed avocado we were ready to fight the day. We set off to explore a bit of Kigali and to do some shopping. After a stop at a very nice cafe we were off to the market where all sorts of local produce was purchased. An excellent lunch was taken at Meze Fresh where the loos were adjudged to be 9 out of 10, so a real bonus!
The rain finally eased such that we were able to get in a brief coaching session in the afternoon. Split teams again. Saint Agnes school was apparently an absolute delight and that team had a great time. The Ndera team had a light session with only about 35 kids and then a muck about with some of the coaches. So after the trauma of the day before, this was a real relief for everyone.
Most then went out in the evening to Lemon Kigali for another excellent meal and where the cocktails were coming thick and fast.
In this blog we really wanted to focus on the fabulous team we are part of:
Tanya and Gareth. Tanya is our Supreme Leader. She is a model of serenity and calm. She is like a swan gliding across a lake but with so much work going on below the surface that we don’t see. Thank you Tanya! Gareth claims he knows nothing about cricket but we have seen him in action, and he looks like a pro. But not just a sporting god, he is also the lunch king, daring to eat food that the rest of us are too scared to try. Well played that man!
Roisin. Our Duracell bunny. A smiling tornado of energy. An absolute trooper and stalwart of the team. Constantly busy and never seems to tire. The colouring book queen who seems to have a toy shop in her rucksack. Her enthusiasm and all round positivity is so infectious and keeps us all going. Roisin rocks!
Colin and Morgan. Col-lin is a world renowned opera singer (a CWB first?) and his daily vocal warm ups for the team have already become the stuff of CWB legend. Who would have thought that making animal noises was so good for us? His son Morgan is a young man with the most golden of hearts. A very talented off spin bowler who was on a hat trick in our game against some of Rwanda’s finest young players. What a star! It is just so fantastic to see father and son bonding and chatting (not the dusty breeze!). Great stuff!
Lara. A force of nature. She is the undisputed queen of the warm up relays. Nobody else could remotely bring so much energy to that role. Giving it her all would be a massive understatement. I don’t know what she has been smoking in California, but can we have some? NPC, no way bruv-she real one. Lara the Magnificent from now on.
Betty. Our Dancing Queen. The creator of the now famous Betty Waiting Dance, by far the best way of keeping the children behind the cones. Constantly smiling and a person who somehow finds good in everything and everyone. No pass agg here! Her wicked sense of humour also betrays that the child is still very much in her. Betty is da business!
Molly and Paige. No, not the latest Disney production or TV detective series but in fact our very own Dynamic Duo. The Mollster and Paigey bring such incredible youthful exuberance and cricket expertise to the team. And seemingly in a love triangle with one of the local coaches. They are also our resident DJs, pumping out the bangers on the bus to keep our spirits lifted and racking up the aura points. Brilliant!
Julie. The Pocket Rocket. She may not be the tallest, but a giant amongst us. As a teacher, she has seen most things before, but she would be the first to admit that coaching a 1000 children at once is a somewhat different experience. But as you would expect from such a pro, she rose to the challenge with great aplomb. She also seems to be a super fast shopper, whizzing through the market like a whirling dervish. And we have all now learned not to sit next to Julie during card games, as she is absolutely ruthless ! Simon says….Julie bringing heat!
Rachana. Our young entrepreneur. So impressive in everything that she does.
Always thinking about ways we can improve our coaching. You can 100% guarantee that if Rachana is doing it, it will get done. She radiates enthusiasm and has the most infectious of smiles and laughs. She is totes cool beans-Rachtastic!
Oliver. The Charming Chatterbox. There is no donkey in Rwanda with any hind legs left. And that ain’t capping, cuh! Seemingly has made friends with half of Rwanda. Olive (that’s what they like to call him here) brings so much to the team. Energy, enthusiasm and cricket excellence of course. But also a great mix of youthful zest for life combined with real maturity in terms of being able to connect with people of all ages. He will fly high in life (and not just as a pilot). Olive pressure, no debate !
Ellie. Miss Fortitude. The youngest member of the team. Still at school and to come here on her own, shows real courage. Well done Ellie!
Our local coaches are also key members of the team. Led by Tall Eric, they are all fabulous and invaluable to us.
And finally we have Eddie, our bus driver. What can we say other than the man is nothing short of heroic. Some of the roads he has to navigate have to be seen to be believed. But we never feel anything other than being safe in his hands. The GOAT.
We have all come to Rwanda first and foremost to be with the children. But also it is so much about the team. It’s truly amazing how a group of people who for the most part have never met before, from all walks of life and with a big age range, can get on so well and be so happy in each other’s company. We feel so blessed to be part of such a great team and we would like to give a massive thanks to everyone for being so fabulous.
Charlie and Sarah
PS for those reading this who are not on the trip, we haven’t completely lost our marbles. Street slang has been rather a theme amongst the team. We don’t normally speak like this!
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