This is my second trip with CWB – every single session has presented me with new challenges and new experiences. And yesterday was particularly special in this respect.
Tuesday afternoon took us to Hornby girls high school and were greeted by the usual cheers of excitement from the classrooms and calls of ‘muzungu!’ A group of 115 children came out to play and I noticed that some were boys. Manny then explained that the boys were all visually impaired or blind.
Initially I ran the bowling station with Manny, but thanks to the support of our newly trained coaches who helped him run the session, I was able to spend some time with the children who were unable to join in the main games due to the risks around their safety.
I sat with the children and introduced myself. We talked about the charity, about us coming from England, about why we were visiting the school and I went through the ABCT messaging. The boys were so engaging- their faces lit up, they smiled, there was a twinkle deep in their eyes. When we talked about bowling I gave them tennis balls to hold and feel. When we talked about protection they held the bats just as the other children had. They were all just as aware of the health messages, which is really positive.
The way the children responded was truly heartwarming – they held my hands and touched my face and my hair. They laughed and smiled….. and I cried tears of joy.
With our focus, as a charity, on equality and inclusivity it was fantastic to visit a school which so clearly values each and every one of its pupils equally.
Clare
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