Having left Kumi after the Festival, we headed off in the bus to our base for the next 3 nights, in Kapchorwa. After a couple of hours we turned off the main road, and immediately began to climb. As we did so, the clouds got darker, and it wasn’t long before the rain arrived. The final turn saw us on an even steeper road, and the views must have been spectacular if we had been able to see them through the rain and mist! We finally arrived at Home of Friends, hardly able to see round the next corner through the fog. We were delighted to find a lovely guest house waiting for us, and most important of all, for some of us, the first hot shower for ten days!
Despite heavy overnight rain, the skies had cleared on our first morning in Kapchorwa (which actually means Home of Friends), and the team were excited to get started. 2000m up, on the slopes of Mount Elgon, flat ground was in short supply, so we were prepared to be creative with a few small spaces. We needn’t have worried, as our first stop, Kapchorwa Demonstration Primary School, boasted a fine sports field, with lovely views over the area. Our newest team member, Oliver, made his Team Uganda debut, having enjoyed the Rwanda project so much he subjected himself to a 10 hour bus journey to join us and sign up for more. The undoubted highlight of the session was a group of children with special needs. Mark, our leader, had made sure they were included, and their enthusiasm and willingness to give cricket a try were truly inspirational. There was a tear in Mark’s eye as he watched a young boy with no arms simply tuck a bat under his chin and smack a ball off a tee. We were told the lad uses his feet to eat and to produce very neat written work.
Our next stop was Kapchorwa Secondary School, who were also hosting Joshua Cheptegei Junior School, named after Uganda’s Olympic Champion and World Record holding long distance runner. Supporting the school is one of several ways he gives back to the local community, which is the altitude training base for many elite athletes.
Cricket is completely new in this area, so we were delighted with the way the youngsters embraced it with great enthusiasm. The secondary school in particular were fantastic, listening to everything we said, and within minutes there were quite a few straight arms in evidence on the bowling station. The students then sat down to think about the strengths that girls have, and how they can work together to promote respect for all, which was well received by both the boys and girls.
After lunch, we finished off with two more excited schools, at the beautiful Mount Elgon Primary, with the stunning backdrop of the hills.
Kapchorwa is such a contrast to the open, flat countryside around Kumi. Considerably cooler in the evening, it was still warm enough to sit and enjoy the twilight, before a well deserved dinner and rest. Everyone is keen to pull out all the stops to make our last coaching day tomorrow one to remember.
Ali
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