Chawama Routine Continues.
Tuesday 14th was the second visit to the afternoon sessions held at Chawama. The IDEALS students coach sport at the Little Woods School to a variety of ages.
Kelly Mullings held a session in Netball. The normal group is just girls but due to a missing volleyball net she informed me that the group has now also included a team of boys for the last few days! This is no distraction for Kelly who was adamant to proceed with her coaching and help the girls prepare for the WALLACE tournament this Saturday! The session included many drills to improve the girls technique and spatial awareness. The girls clearly needed to improve the preciseness of pass and the ability to use all the space in the court. It is clear that Kelly is having a positive impact on their ability to develop in the sport.
Becky Lilley coached the U12’s boys basketball. The lesson began with dynamic stretches to get the boys warmed up. Elements of this were able to aid skills which are necessary during a game, such as, high jumps and pivots. There is definitely a reoccurring challenge when coaching in Zambia that was very clear in Becky’s session; large decreases and increases of class sizes! Boys would become distracted or wonder off and then new additions may join the drills too! This can be very challenging for a coach who will wish to build on the skills taught throughout the lesson. Becky handled this very well but it is a clear area that needs to be improved so students who attend the lesson can get the most potential out of them. The final part of the day allowed the boys to practice drills that taught them to better control the ball. This is an issue an is contributed to by the uneven floor! Becky also had to explain to the boys the importance of playing as a team and supporting each other so they can fulfil their potential on Saturday at the tournament.
It encouraging to see the students continuing with the skills they having been implementing at their placements as consistency is not something that is the norm in schools inn Zambia. This routine will allow students to really master the skills of their sport and develop into good athletes.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Sensory Workshop
Darren Maccabe held a sensory class at Chipata community school this week for children with learning difficulties. The class was extremely fun due to the materials which were provided and activity that commenced! Darren, who is studying to become a learning disabilities nurse, had brought over from the UK five cans of men’s shaving cream!
The lids were popped off and he then encouraged the children to squirt the foam all over the desks! The activity was then to engage with the foam by touching, holding and squeezing the cream in their hands. The children visibly loved the game! It took no time for their confidence, after some slight confusion at such a different classroom task, to soar. This led to them spreading it on their faces, hair and soon on each other. This is important as children need to touch a variety of textures and play with them to develop normal tactile processing. The interaction and happiness between the children was fantastic to see. The teachers also could not contain their curiosity and it was not long before they too had white foamy beards and smiles!
Darren explained that this is an extremely effective way to engage children with learning disabilities. “Children just think they are having fun when they are actually working strenuously at building essential skills with their bodies and better neurological systems”.
The variety of sensory integration activities is endless... only limited
by your creativity and imagination!
The lids were popped off and he then encouraged the children to squirt the foam all over the desks! The activity was then to engage with the foam by touching, holding and squeezing the cream in their hands. The children visibly loved the game! It took no time for their confidence, after some slight confusion at such a different classroom task, to soar. This led to them spreading it on their faces, hair and soon on each other. This is important as children need to touch a variety of textures and play with them to develop normal tactile processing. The interaction and happiness between the children was fantastic to see. The teachers also could not contain their curiosity and it was not long before they too had white foamy beards and smiles!
Darren explained that this is an extremely effective way to engage children with learning disabilities. “Children just think they are having fun when they are actually working strenuously at building essential skills with their bodies and better neurological systems”.
The variety of sensory integration activities is endless... only limited
by your creativity and imagination!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
K TOWN CUP!
The ‘chimpomba’ tournament was held last Friday at Kalinglinga. A chimpomba is the ball that was used…which is made up of recycled plastic bags and paper! At the tournament football, volley and netball were played. The teams fought for a place in the finals and the winning trophy!
The boy’s U12’s football displayed fantastic skills and ability which led to a final between Ghana and Barcelona. It was so close that even penalties could not differentiate between the two and Barcelona took the prize after they knocked out Ghana in sudden death. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ for the U12’s boy’s football was John from Ghana who played extremely well and fair.
The boy’s in the U15’s also played incredible football and the effort and stamina in the heat was impressive. The final was between Club 9 and Portugal with a clear 3-0 win to Club 9. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Goodson who led his team and performed well.
‘Hunters’ smashed the volleyball by winning the first three sets by 25 and easily taking the prize. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Kelly.
The netball also displayed the fantastic ability that some of the girls in Kalinglinga hold and the prize went to Fox Girls after a match on the new court in the compound. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ went to Chimunwa for her team spirit and skills. Hayley, the netball coach and IDEALS team leader, explained “the standard was high and the game was very close…there were hardly any fowls at all which is great”.
It was great to see that the organisation of the student’s and peer leaders led to such a great day. Matt and Rianne also pulled in Marc and Hayley for their refereeing skills which added to the effectiveness of the day. Poi’s were also brought along to provide additional entertainment for some of the children who were not participating in sports that day! Despite the immense heat and long hours the day was a huge success and was immensely enjoyed by all who attended.
The boy’s U12’s football displayed fantastic skills and ability which led to a final between Ghana and Barcelona. It was so close that even penalties could not differentiate between the two and Barcelona took the prize after they knocked out Ghana in sudden death. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ for the U12’s boy’s football was John from Ghana who played extremely well and fair.
The boy’s in the U15’s also played incredible football and the effort and stamina in the heat was impressive. The final was between Club 9 and Portugal with a clear 3-0 win to Club 9. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Goodson who led his team and performed well.
‘Hunters’ smashed the volleyball by winning the first three sets by 25 and easily taking the prize. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ was Kelly.
The netball also displayed the fantastic ability that some of the girls in Kalinglinga hold and the prize went to Fox Girls after a match on the new court in the compound. The ‘Player of the Tournament’ went to Chimunwa for her team spirit and skills. Hayley, the netball coach and IDEALS team leader, explained “the standard was high and the game was very close…there were hardly any fowls at all which is great”.
It was great to see that the organisation of the student’s and peer leaders led to such a great day. Matt and Rianne also pulled in Marc and Hayley for their refereeing skills which added to the effectiveness of the day. Poi’s were also brought along to provide additional entertainment for some of the children who were not participating in sports that day! Despite the immense heat and long hours the day was a huge success and was immensely enjoyed by all who attended.
Britain’s Top Sports Students Coach at the Olympic Centre!
The Olympic Youth Development Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, welcomed several of the IDEALS students last week and requested that they use their expertise to further the Zambian athletes’ skills in specific sports.
Becky Lilley first met the national athletics coach, who is responsible for taking athletes to the Common Wealth Games (CWG). She then sat down with each individual athlete to discuss their PB’s, SB and their programmes to date. This allowed her to identify initial weaknesses which were apparent in their present programmes and she went on to amend them in preparation for the CWG. In her next session she sat down with the national coach to discuss ways in which progress could be aided leading up to CWG. This included ways to create various programmes and how to implement them before the games in order for their athletes to see their progress and thus peak at the right time. Using her own athletic experience, having been in the sport for over ten years, she introduced British ideals, for example, strength and conditioning, which have led to an increase in medals. Becky explained that there were “aspects of a programme which would be the norm in UK but are vacant here” and she was “shocked to see athletes attending training four weeks before the international competition who didn’t have a comprehensive programme in place”. Ms Lilley highlighted the importance of a personalised programme saying “structure and encouragement is necessary so they are able to see their progression and remain motivated”.
Matt Guy, coached the boy’s U18’s football at the OYDC. The head coach, who is the ex Zambian international coach, allowed Matt to draw on his four years of coaching experience and take the session on his own. The group was formed of high performance players who would feed into the Olympic and national team, some of which already have had trials. He started with a fitness session concentrating on reactions, speed and agility. This led onto Plyometric training where he taught how to successfully use low contact with floor, jumping, hopping and other explosive material. The challenges he faced were that they needed extra work on spatial awareness and the impact that movement has on the game. Therefore he went onto expand on technical aspects such as dribbling, passing and heading – touch related drills and on tactical aspects explaining different areas on the pitch. The impact was evident when the boys played a game the following Saturday and Matt could clearly identify the drills he implemented in coaching. He said “ their play demonstrated spatial awareness, movement and support, which led to a fantastic header and a goal!”
Rianne Hunt coached Hockey to girls aged between 10-16 years of age who did not have much experience. This began by teaching basic skills of hockey, which Rianne establish during her nine years of training, which focused on how to hit and pass. Rianne was asked to lead the session as the girls wanted and needed a female coach who could demonstrate to them that a female can be successful in this sport. The challenges she originally faced were that they were unaware of basic hockey skills and thus she had to start from the very beginning with the language barrier too! However Rianne explained the impact “was huge because initially they did not respond well but by the end of first session I could see their own progress and they asked me to return!” At a subsequent match she could clearly see the girls using the skills that she had previously taught.
Matt Dochniak coached the U12’s boy’s football. He took two sessions where the head of football, who was the ex assistant for the national team, left him with sole responsibility for the group. He taught short passing and moving and then set the boy’s the target of five passes before a goal was scored as they previously struggled to pass the ball around as a team and were just kicking it with no direction. His intended impact was to drill in the importance of passing. Matt said it did “change the way they think about football, rather then just running around, it introduced direction and technique”.
Kelly Mullings used her nine years of netball experience to coach a group of girls aged between 12 and 20…in one session! Originally bad organisation of the session was a struggle but Kelly adapted and met her new demands well. Firstly she worked on fitness, which included reaction time with the ball, coordination, incorporating footwork, good ball handling skills and explosive strength via plyometric training. Secondly she introduced agility and speed using cones which players had to dodge around. She introduced new components which the students were unaware of and also provided a crash course in fitness for the coaches which they can build on. Kelly’s coaching has such a positive impact on the group, as she explained “they improved so much…the second day I could see the benefits for the athletes”. Despite having such a wide age group and varying level of abilities she overcame this by adapting and changing her drills to suit every level and age simultaneously.
The sessions at the OYDC will continue whilst the IDEALS team are in Lusaka. The staff at the centre were very impressed with the students and they have all been invited back to hold further sessions in their sports.
Becky Lilley first met the national athletics coach, who is responsible for taking athletes to the Common Wealth Games (CWG). She then sat down with each individual athlete to discuss their PB’s, SB and their programmes to date. This allowed her to identify initial weaknesses which were apparent in their present programmes and she went on to amend them in preparation for the CWG. In her next session she sat down with the national coach to discuss ways in which progress could be aided leading up to CWG. This included ways to create various programmes and how to implement them before the games in order for their athletes to see their progress and thus peak at the right time. Using her own athletic experience, having been in the sport for over ten years, she introduced British ideals, for example, strength and conditioning, which have led to an increase in medals. Becky explained that there were “aspects of a programme which would be the norm in UK but are vacant here” and she was “shocked to see athletes attending training four weeks before the international competition who didn’t have a comprehensive programme in place”. Ms Lilley highlighted the importance of a personalised programme saying “structure and encouragement is necessary so they are able to see their progression and remain motivated”.
Matt Guy, coached the boy’s U18’s football at the OYDC. The head coach, who is the ex Zambian international coach, allowed Matt to draw on his four years of coaching experience and take the session on his own. The group was formed of high performance players who would feed into the Olympic and national team, some of which already have had trials. He started with a fitness session concentrating on reactions, speed and agility. This led onto Plyometric training where he taught how to successfully use low contact with floor, jumping, hopping and other explosive material. The challenges he faced were that they needed extra work on spatial awareness and the impact that movement has on the game. Therefore he went onto expand on technical aspects such as dribbling, passing and heading – touch related drills and on tactical aspects explaining different areas on the pitch. The impact was evident when the boys played a game the following Saturday and Matt could clearly identify the drills he implemented in coaching. He said “ their play demonstrated spatial awareness, movement and support, which led to a fantastic header and a goal!”
Rianne Hunt coached Hockey to girls aged between 10-16 years of age who did not have much experience. This began by teaching basic skills of hockey, which Rianne establish during her nine years of training, which focused on how to hit and pass. Rianne was asked to lead the session as the girls wanted and needed a female coach who could demonstrate to them that a female can be successful in this sport. The challenges she originally faced were that they were unaware of basic hockey skills and thus she had to start from the very beginning with the language barrier too! However Rianne explained the impact “was huge because initially they did not respond well but by the end of first session I could see their own progress and they asked me to return!” At a subsequent match she could clearly see the girls using the skills that she had previously taught.
Matt Dochniak coached the U12’s boy’s football. He took two sessions where the head of football, who was the ex assistant for the national team, left him with sole responsibility for the group. He taught short passing and moving and then set the boy’s the target of five passes before a goal was scored as they previously struggled to pass the ball around as a team and were just kicking it with no direction. His intended impact was to drill in the importance of passing. Matt said it did “change the way they think about football, rather then just running around, it introduced direction and technique”.
Kelly Mullings used her nine years of netball experience to coach a group of girls aged between 12 and 20…in one session! Originally bad organisation of the session was a struggle but Kelly adapted and met her new demands well. Firstly she worked on fitness, which included reaction time with the ball, coordination, incorporating footwork, good ball handling skills and explosive strength via plyometric training. Secondly she introduced agility and speed using cones which players had to dodge around. She introduced new components which the students were unaware of and also provided a crash course in fitness for the coaches which they can build on. Kelly’s coaching has such a positive impact on the group, as she explained “they improved so much…the second day I could see the benefits for the athletes”. Despite having such a wide age group and varying level of abilities she overcame this by adapting and changing her drills to suit every level and age simultaneously.
The sessions at the OYDC will continue whilst the IDEALS team are in Lusaka. The staff at the centre were very impressed with the students and they have all been invited back to hold further sessions in their sports.
Performance Nutrition Workshop
Thursday 2nd September
Marc Briggs, a lecturer from Northumbria University, held a day long workshop for the national coaches of Zambia at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC). This type of theory is vital for the enhancement of their athletes if they are to compete on a national and international level.
The day began with an informal quiz to break the ice! There were five questions relating to nutrition and child malnutrition. Then Marc moved onto the goals of sports nutrition and common misconceptions in the area. This reinforced the OYDC’s goals of providing positive lifestyle opportunities for their athletes and coaches which will enhance their performance in their sport. The morning session ended with an interactive activity where Marc distributed paper plates and various foods (unfortunately not edible but of the paper variety!) and the coaches were asked to create the perfect meal for their athletes in various situations. Marc explained the purpose of this activity is “to see the level of knowledge they hold beforehand and then it allows them to learn from their mistakes”. He went on to say this type of activity is especially important as “it puts the theory into practice”.
After a long Zambian lunch the coaches returned for the afternoon practical session. Marc delivered this on the fantastic new out door basketball courts in the baking afternoon sun. The messages he wanted to communicate were the importance of dynamic stretches and the use of circuit training to warm up and exercise.
The Zambian coaches clearly benefited greatly from the theory in the morning and were very reciprocal to the new information they were been given. It was also clear that they learned new techniques from the practical session in both of the key areas. As stated it is vital that the coaches are informed on these areas. It was highlighted that they do have athletes who will be competing in the Common Wealth Games and the impact that the workshop had will hopefully contribute to their success in that and future international events.
Marc Briggs, a lecturer from Northumbria University, held a day long workshop for the national coaches of Zambia at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC). This type of theory is vital for the enhancement of their athletes if they are to compete on a national and international level.
The day began with an informal quiz to break the ice! There were five questions relating to nutrition and child malnutrition. Then Marc moved onto the goals of sports nutrition and common misconceptions in the area. This reinforced the OYDC’s goals of providing positive lifestyle opportunities for their athletes and coaches which will enhance their performance in their sport. The morning session ended with an interactive activity where Marc distributed paper plates and various foods (unfortunately not edible but of the paper variety!) and the coaches were asked to create the perfect meal for their athletes in various situations. Marc explained the purpose of this activity is “to see the level of knowledge they hold beforehand and then it allows them to learn from their mistakes”. He went on to say this type of activity is especially important as “it puts the theory into practice”.
After a long Zambian lunch the coaches returned for the afternoon practical session. Marc delivered this on the fantastic new out door basketball courts in the baking afternoon sun. The messages he wanted to communicate were the importance of dynamic stretches and the use of circuit training to warm up and exercise.
The Zambian coaches clearly benefited greatly from the theory in the morning and were very reciprocal to the new information they were been given. It was also clear that they learned new techniques from the practical session in both of the key areas. As stated it is vital that the coaches are informed on these areas. It was highlighted that they do have athletes who will be competing in the Common Wealth Games and the impact that the workshop had will hopefully contribute to their success in that and future international events.
IDEALS PROJECT 2010
Since 2006, IDEALS Zambia has seen many young people working together from Zambia and the UK, forming strong bonds, learning from each other, and having positive experiences. This year is no different!
EduSport and Sport in Action, the two sport for development NGO’s working in partnership with UK Sport and the Wallace Group (Durham, Stirling, Northumbria, Bath, UWIC and Loughborough Universities), provide placements for approximately 40 students per year. The students work with other national volunteers in communities and schools across Lusaka to deliver sports, leadership and health awareness sessions.
Travelling to Zambia as an IDEALS student is a daunting experience. Getting used to life and work placements requires a lot of adapting, which is part of what makes it so rewarding for the participating students. Hayley Barr was a student on UK Sport’s IDEALS project in 2009. This year she is back as a team leader, staying in Zambia for four months during the whole project. She is more than happy to be back.
“In my opinion it’s the best country in the world,” says Hayley. “The people are so amazing – you just feel so welcome.”
Life in Zambia certainly takes some time to get used to and Hayley recognises this from when she first arrived in Zambia.
“It is a little bit of a shock – the harsh life that we are protected from at home. Here you are very exposed to it and I think that’s quite hard to get used to.” Hayley says.
Planning can be a bit of a challenge for the IDEALS students who never know if they are going to get five or fifty children for a session, or if they will have access to the space or equipment. For Hayley, this is part of what makes it a useful experience. When back in Britain, they have a new perspective on things.
“It makes you more flexible and adaptable. You realise that it’s not a matter of life or death that everything goes as planned.”
Coming back as a team leader, Hayley has the opportunity to observe the project from the start. She appreciates the organisation a lot more this year, while she also sees the impact the organisations, along with the students, are having in the communities they work.
Kelvin Chasuaka has been a peer leader and role model to the community of Kalingalinga for well over 5 years, an astonishing figure considering he is just 17. According to Kelvin, a peer leader “is someone that mobilises, organises, educates, empowers and inspires young people to achieve all they can. They act as a role model to fellow peers and those in whatever community they’re operating.”
Kelvin has been involved in the IDEALS programme since it started and has learnt a lot from the students from the Wallace Group. “I was privileged to be part of the first ever IDEALS project. I was initially involved as a peer leader and later as a site coordinator for my community of Kalingalinga.”
“The project has benefitted me in so many ways academically. Firstly, in the most direct form, I’ve learnt a lot from the students and their coaching abilities. Their specialist knowledge in various sports has helped me develop my own knowledge which I’ve been able to pass on to those who want it. I’ve also learnt about British culture and engaged in cultural exchange. Finally, I was last year sponsored to complete my senior year at school, which was a massive milestone for me.”
As Kelvin indicates, the IDEALS project is not only about the advance of international development through excellence and leadership in sport, but also about cultural exchange between Britain and Zambia. As one student, Joe Dale, who has recently returned from Zambia put it:
“I have had the time of my life. Within a day of the placement I started to appreciate the extent of the difference between Zambia and the UK. Only with the translation of peer leaders and site coordinators could we have any impact other than just the children’s excitement at seeing a ‘Mzungu’. With time however we’ve started to be able to increase our control and understanding with the children through physical actions and simple English and Nanja.”
Joe also talked about his learning experience, “I learnt from my site coordinators and peer leaders to improve my input when delivering life skills messages through sport and in P.S.H.E classes. I hopefully combined this with providing enjoyment for the children in the PE lessons to give them a physical and mental escape from every-day stresses.”
IDEALS Zambia will continue to provide a valuable opportunity to students, staff and all those involved with Sport in Action and EduSport.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
English lessons at Fountain of Hope
Tuesday 31st August 2010 English lessons at Fountain of Hope
This morning David Jones, with the assistance of Scarlett Brannigan, taught his third English lesson to his new class at Fountain of Hope. Alongside sports the community school aims to teach English to the street children aged between eight and twenty two years of age.
David and his placement partner Chris Savage began the programme by reciting the alphabet, explaining vowels and including games such as eye-spy which engaged the class and gave use to the information they had just learned.
The class today allowed David to recap on the previous days work and expand to the use of adjectives. This was achieved by using English newspapers and asking the children to highlight first the vowels and then the adjectives. They were then encouraged to say a statement about themselves describing an attribute to them with an adjective.
The challenges included a lack of stationary such as paper and pens to write with. The boys attending today were also a range of ages and abilities so some would progress much quicker than others, however, it was excellent to see that the boys helped and encouraged each other to conclude the objective.
Jackson is a peer leader at the Fountain of Hope, which is run through Sport in Action, one of Zambia’s leading Sport Non-Government Organisations. He explained that the children really enjoy the English lessons as “it allows them to take the papers with them and they will use that to practice their studies”. He also described how the lessons aid the peer leaders themselves; “we may attend school but this is revision for us too”.
The IDEALS students will continue to assist in various schools throughout their project teaching sports, English life skills and other activities.
This morning David Jones, with the assistance of Scarlett Brannigan, taught his third English lesson to his new class at Fountain of Hope. Alongside sports the community school aims to teach English to the street children aged between eight and twenty two years of age.
David and his placement partner Chris Savage began the programme by reciting the alphabet, explaining vowels and including games such as eye-spy which engaged the class and gave use to the information they had just learned.
The class today allowed David to recap on the previous days work and expand to the use of adjectives. This was achieved by using English newspapers and asking the children to highlight first the vowels and then the adjectives. They were then encouraged to say a statement about themselves describing an attribute to them with an adjective.
The challenges included a lack of stationary such as paper and pens to write with. The boys attending today were also a range of ages and abilities so some would progress much quicker than others, however, it was excellent to see that the boys helped and encouraged each other to conclude the objective.
Jackson is a peer leader at the Fountain of Hope, which is run through Sport in Action, one of Zambia’s leading Sport Non-Government Organisations. He explained that the children really enjoy the English lessons as “it allows them to take the papers with them and they will use that to practice their studies”. He also described how the lessons aid the peer leaders themselves; “we may attend school but this is revision for us too”.
The IDEALS students will continue to assist in various schools throughout their project teaching sports, English life skills and other activities.
Olympic Youth Development Centre Visit
Monday 30th August 2010
Olympic Youth Development Centre Visit.
The students arrived at the impressive centre on Monday to meet with the team there and see how they can collaborate. The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) was opened in May 2010 and provides the best sports facilities in Zambia. The centre is the first of its kind in the world and will allow the national teams to develop their skills.
Bessy, the director at the OYDC, chaired the meeting and invited the IDEALS students to introduce themselves and their sport. This gave everyone the opportunity to meet the Zambian national coaches who they will be working with.
The students then took a tour of the centre and saw first hand the quality of the facilities on offer. The athletics track also needed a little try out so the students practiced their long jump, one-hundred meters and the competitive streak in them could not resist a relay competition!
The final part of the visit gave the students a chance to meet with the coaches from their sport and arrange when and how the coaching sessions will take place. This grants an extraordinary opportunity to the IDEALS students to work alongside a national team and develop their professional skills.
Olympic Youth Development Centre Visit.
The students arrived at the impressive centre on Monday to meet with the team there and see how they can collaborate. The Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) was opened in May 2010 and provides the best sports facilities in Zambia. The centre is the first of its kind in the world and will allow the national teams to develop their skills.
Bessy, the director at the OYDC, chaired the meeting and invited the IDEALS students to introduce themselves and their sport. This gave everyone the opportunity to meet the Zambian national coaches who they will be working with.
The students then took a tour of the centre and saw first hand the quality of the facilities on offer. The athletics track also needed a little try out so the students practiced their long jump, one-hundred meters and the competitive streak in them could not resist a relay competition!
The final part of the visit gave the students a chance to meet with the coaches from their sport and arrange when and how the coaching sessions will take place. This grants an extraordinary opportunity to the IDEALS students to work alongside a national team and develop their professional skills.
Educate you, Educate me has arrived!
Educate you, Educate me has arrived! The first week was full of adventure, greetings and meetings which have made Zambia feel like home to the newest group of IDEALS students.
The team could not contain their enthusiasm and before unpacking ran across the street to play a game of football with the local children. The following day all attended the national Go Sisters tournament and watched as girls from around Zambia participated in Netball, Football, Volleyball and Basketball.
The beginning of week one was the perfect induction which allowed everyone to meet their new colleagues and see their placements. The team jumped on the back of a large truck and were shown around Lusaka and the various sites that Sport in Action and EduSport had placed them in. The students also experienced lunch Zambian style; nshima with BBQ chicken…which was delicious! David also delved into an assortment of bodily parts once belonging to the chicken including liver, intestine and claw!
Toxy, a peer leader from Chawama, introduced some of the team to Crystal on Friday at the local clinic. This allowed them to spend a day at the centre and get involved in the day to day work there. Becky was keen to visit the child nutrition area which led to Matt and Marc seeing more than they’d bargained for when they witnessed a woman in labour in the maternity ward! Darren, Kelly and I took a tour around the hospital and then helped with the physiotherapy of patients who had had a stroke. The last duty of the day involved putting a plaster on the leg of a little girl who had fractured her leg. All this before lunch! Then it was back of to placement for the afternoon’s sports activities.
The weekend was spent at the magnificent Lake Kariba. It is the largest lake in Africa and Zimbabwe can been seen across the vast stretch of water. After an attempt at free diving the team hopped aboard a speed boat and rode across the beautiful lake. The sunset was stunning and the night that followed was just as dazzling! The next day, before returning to Lusaka, team leader Hayley showed us the splendour that is the dam and we crossed it together and entered into Zimbabwe! It was the largest dam in the world when built but now stands second to one in China. The group were happy to hear that the drop from the bungee was greater than the frightening height they witnessed on top of that Dam!
The team returned to the house for an early night and recharged their batteries for the next full week ahead.
The team could not contain their enthusiasm and before unpacking ran across the street to play a game of football with the local children. The following day all attended the national Go Sisters tournament and watched as girls from around Zambia participated in Netball, Football, Volleyball and Basketball.
The beginning of week one was the perfect induction which allowed everyone to meet their new colleagues and see their placements. The team jumped on the back of a large truck and were shown around Lusaka and the various sites that Sport in Action and EduSport had placed them in. The students also experienced lunch Zambian style; nshima with BBQ chicken…which was delicious! David also delved into an assortment of bodily parts once belonging to the chicken including liver, intestine and claw!
Toxy, a peer leader from Chawama, introduced some of the team to Crystal on Friday at the local clinic. This allowed them to spend a day at the centre and get involved in the day to day work there. Becky was keen to visit the child nutrition area which led to Matt and Marc seeing more than they’d bargained for when they witnessed a woman in labour in the maternity ward! Darren, Kelly and I took a tour around the hospital and then helped with the physiotherapy of patients who had had a stroke. The last duty of the day involved putting a plaster on the leg of a little girl who had fractured her leg. All this before lunch! Then it was back of to placement for the afternoon’s sports activities.
The weekend was spent at the magnificent Lake Kariba. It is the largest lake in Africa and Zimbabwe can been seen across the vast stretch of water. After an attempt at free diving the team hopped aboard a speed boat and rode across the beautiful lake. The sunset was stunning and the night that followed was just as dazzling! The next day, before returning to Lusaka, team leader Hayley showed us the splendour that is the dam and we crossed it together and entered into Zimbabwe! It was the largest dam in the world when built but now stands second to one in China. The group were happy to hear that the drop from the bungee was greater than the frightening height they witnessed on top of that Dam!
The team returned to the house for an early night and recharged their batteries for the next full week ahead.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sub-Sahara Africa is the poorest region in the world and was ravished by the outbreak of the HIV/AIDS virus. The only continent to have become poorer over the last three decades, Africa suffers from mass unemployment. 64% of Zambia’s 12 million population earn less than the equivalent of one US dollar a day – which in turn causes a whole series out various problems relating to social development. However, there is one company is that is determined to offer its workers well above minimum wage in good working conditions. Alive and Kicking is a football (and netball and volleyball) production company, offering disabled and HIV/AIDS infected workers the chance of decent income and an escape from their desperate situations.
I came to find out about Alive and Kicking through the two Sport NGOs I’m working with out in Zambia. EduSport and Sport In Action both purchase their footballs from Alive and Kicking. Our equipment cupboard at the house is packed to the rafters with their products. Each ball proudly displays their logo, a warning of the dangers of malaria and their real signature, the writing ‘Against child labour’ around the ball’s air supply.
A massive fan of their ideals and interested to find out more, I managed to organise a meet with their Managing Director, Chad. True to most communication in the 21st century Chad and I originally conserved through SMS, therefore, I was caught offguard when we eventfully met in person. Chad is a American, and white – an important factor. I must admit, my first reaction was that of cyncialism. I was wary that perhaps everything I had heard of Alive and Kicking had been created for intentional marketing purposes. I guess that’s just a product of living in a Western society.
However, it didn’t take me long to realise I had been massively wrong. Almost immediately after we had passed our introductions, Chad offered me a cup of tea (after I told him I was English). One thing that struck me straight away about him was how passoniate he was about his job and how thoroughly he believed in it. Although he had only been in his role since September of 09, you’d think the way he spoke about the company, it was his own.
We spoke for a while, about Alive and Kicking, and also about the IDEALS project I was proud to be apart of. He was genuine and although he stated how manic his past week had been, he had made plenty of time for our meet. I was given a tour of the stitching rooms, which were spacious. I was told of the process of making a ball and shortly learnt of the skill required to be able to stitch.
Each stitcher has the aim of making 3 balls a day – which doesn’t sound a lot, but Alive and Kicking balls are of the highest standard. Even in the terrains of the compounds the IDEALS students operate, the Alive and Kicking balls are hard wearing and do not fall apart – something more famous production company’s products could be accused of.
I sat with Chris, one of the stitchers (pictured below). He told me about his average day at the stitching centre, located at ZamLeather, Zambia’s biggest producer of leather.
All of the stitchers seemed to enjoy their job and enjoyed a good standard of living, all of which is of course relevant to the country in which they live.
It was a pleasant environment to be around and seemed nice enough to be working in. There was a good atmosphere and additional activities were encouraged by the management. The workers were very enthusiastic about their work football team, playing every Saturday morning in a league.
Chad treated me to lunch – nshima, chicken, tomatoes and cabbage. I can quite comfortably say I’ll miss Zambian food so much when I return back to Britain.
After lunch, we returned to our conversation about the organisation – I call it an organisation because it stretches well beyond the definition of a business – offering a decent standard of living for those that would ultimately struggle otherwise.
There are reasons to remain optismistic – since their company’s birth, they’ve created over 130 jobs for Africans. Despite their American managing director, they stay true to their roots boosting of the fact their products are: made by Africans, in Africa for Africans on their company t-shirts. Through their work, they’ve targeted over 25,000 children with the intention of educating them about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. They’ve distributed 250,000 footballs, netballs and volleyballs all together. After today, they will have distributed 250,001. You can order personalised footballs or organisations such as EduSport and Sport In Action can have a specific design for their required desires.
Friend of EduSport, a UK charity supporting the work of EduSport last week created a formal partnership with Alive and Kicking. Supporting their work and ordering ten footballs for their Go! Sisters world series to be held next year, Friend of EduSport are more than happy to give Alive and Kicking business.
Made in Africa, by Africa, for Africa – Alive and Kicking.
I came to find out about Alive and Kicking through the two Sport NGOs I’m working with out in Zambia. EduSport and Sport In Action both purchase their footballs from Alive and Kicking. Our equipment cupboard at the house is packed to the rafters with their products. Each ball proudly displays their logo, a warning of the dangers of malaria and their real signature, the writing ‘Against child labour’ around the ball’s air supply.
A massive fan of their ideals and interested to find out more, I managed to organise a meet with their Managing Director, Chad. True to most communication in the 21st century Chad and I originally conserved through SMS, therefore, I was caught offguard when we eventfully met in person. Chad is a American, and white – an important factor. I must admit, my first reaction was that of cyncialism. I was wary that perhaps everything I had heard of Alive and Kicking had been created for intentional marketing purposes. I guess that’s just a product of living in a Western society.
However, it didn’t take me long to realise I had been massively wrong. Almost immediately after we had passed our introductions, Chad offered me a cup of tea (after I told him I was English). One thing that struck me straight away about him was how passoniate he was about his job and how thoroughly he believed in it. Although he had only been in his role since September of 09, you’d think the way he spoke about the company, it was his own.
We spoke for a while, about Alive and Kicking, and also about the IDEALS project I was proud to be apart of. He was genuine and although he stated how manic his past week had been, he had made plenty of time for our meet. I was given a tour of the stitching rooms, which were spacious. I was told of the process of making a ball and shortly learnt of the skill required to be able to stitch.
Each stitcher has the aim of making 3 balls a day – which doesn’t sound a lot, but Alive and Kicking balls are of the highest standard. Even in the terrains of the compounds the IDEALS students operate, the Alive and Kicking balls are hard wearing and do not fall apart – something more famous production company’s products could be accused of.
I sat with Chris, one of the stitchers (pictured below). He told me about his average day at the stitching centre, located at ZamLeather, Zambia’s biggest producer of leather.
All of the stitchers seemed to enjoy their job and enjoyed a good standard of living, all of which is of course relevant to the country in which they live.
It was a pleasant environment to be around and seemed nice enough to be working in. There was a good atmosphere and additional activities were encouraged by the management. The workers were very enthusiastic about their work football team, playing every Saturday morning in a league.
Chad treated me to lunch – nshima, chicken, tomatoes and cabbage. I can quite comfortably say I’ll miss Zambian food so much when I return back to Britain.
After lunch, we returned to our conversation about the organisation – I call it an organisation because it stretches well beyond the definition of a business – offering a decent standard of living for those that would ultimately struggle otherwise.
There are reasons to remain optismistic – since their company’s birth, they’ve created over 130 jobs for Africans. Despite their American managing director, they stay true to their roots boosting of the fact their products are: made by Africans, in Africa for Africans on their company t-shirts. Through their work, they’ve targeted over 25,000 children with the intention of educating them about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. They’ve distributed 250,000 footballs, netballs and volleyballs all together. After today, they will have distributed 250,001. You can order personalised footballs or organisations such as EduSport and Sport In Action can have a specific design for their required desires.
Friend of EduSport, a UK charity supporting the work of EduSport last week created a formal partnership with Alive and Kicking. Supporting their work and ordering ten footballs for their Go! Sisters world series to be held next year, Friend of EduSport are more than happy to give Alive and Kicking business.
Made in Africa, by Africa, for Africa – Alive and Kicking.
Friday, July 30, 2010
You Only Get Fatter In Chipata
To any Muzungo unfamiliar with the Nyanja language, to say to someone that they are getting or look fat, or ‘dumbo’, would seem fairly rude. However, in Zambia, to tell someone they look fat means that they look healthy and should (mostly) always be taken as a compliment. The staple food all over Zambia, nshima, is a national favourite and very filling, making everyone feel ‘dumbo’ afterwards. Made from just maize and boiling water, it comes out like a bland variety of mash potato – I know, it doesn’t sound appealing but it tastes fantastic, especially when typically served with cabbage and meat.
And this was the challenge for Laura and myself when I went with Laura to her placement in Chipata. After delivering PE lessons in the morning, we found ourselves with an hour to spare and at a bit of a loose end in the afternoon as the exam period meant some classes weren’t available. So we found ourselves willingly dragged into cooking and preparing a meal for all the teachers, which of course included nshima. Zambians are very keen to get you involved in anything, but are also very keen to make sure you do things properly; no sooner had Laura and I picked up a spoon and started stirring, we had them taken off us and shown how to stir properly.
The moral of this story – never argue with a middle aged Zambian woman in her kitchen.
Despite causing a stir in the kitchen, the nshima went down very well with the teachers, though, not as well as the game of softball we played with class 6B in the morning. As you can imagine, the schools we go to don’t have much if any PE equipment, so any equipment that the student coaches plan for in their sessions, must be taken from what they brought with them to Zambia. Laura brought a softball bat and tennis ball to Chipata and it was an absolute success. They’ve never played softball before, and even the teachers were intrigued, saying they had watched baseball on the telly but had never played.
The class picked it up pretty quickly. Laura’s session focus was not about winning, losing or getting people out but instead on something much more important: teamwork. It’s life skills like this that the student coaches are trying to get across in their sessions; yes, they want the kids to have fun as that is and always should be the point of any sporting activity, but they also want these kids to learn such life skills to use off the pitch.
Discipline and communication also featured heavily in Laura’s sessions, especially with the younger children. At this age (6-7 years old), their English is not as good as the older children, so doing a PE session and without a Peer Leader to help translate as was the case on this day, is challenging. However, Laura coped impressively well, her PE teacher background coming to the fore as she easily made it clear at all times for them all to ‘watch!’ (pointing to eyes) and ‘listen!’ (cupping ears) to her as she went through each activity. She wasn’t taking any nonsense either; if there was any sign of pushing or squabbles amongst the kids, she stopped the activity immediately, sending the offenders to the back of the line and threatening to leave them out all together for re-offending. Perhaps it was the Scottish accent that scared them stiff into obeying, but either way they soon realised they had to play nice to play at all.
You can see from their reaction to Laura that the kids have really taken to her, and she has really loved her time at Chipata Open Community School so far. ‘Everyone is so relaxed here, I love it’ she said. ‘You just have to go with it. If your taking a class for PE and another class wants to join in, that’s fine. You regularly get a class of 20 grow to 100 very quickly’.
Like Chawama, Chipata is a long way from Group 2’s base, taking about an hour and a half by bus. Being on her own without a placement partner as well, it is arguably the most difficult placement to be at. But calm as ever, Laura takes it in her stride, casually claiming ‘I don’t mind. There’s usually Chiko (the peer leader) around to help and there is usually always someone free in the group to come with me everyday.’ On this particular day it was me, and I can definitely say I will be visiting again.
And this was the challenge for Laura and myself when I went with Laura to her placement in Chipata. After delivering PE lessons in the morning, we found ourselves with an hour to spare and at a bit of a loose end in the afternoon as the exam period meant some classes weren’t available. So we found ourselves willingly dragged into cooking and preparing a meal for all the teachers, which of course included nshima. Zambians are very keen to get you involved in anything, but are also very keen to make sure you do things properly; no sooner had Laura and I picked up a spoon and started stirring, we had them taken off us and shown how to stir properly.
The moral of this story – never argue with a middle aged Zambian woman in her kitchen.
Despite causing a stir in the kitchen, the nshima went down very well with the teachers, though, not as well as the game of softball we played with class 6B in the morning. As you can imagine, the schools we go to don’t have much if any PE equipment, so any equipment that the student coaches plan for in their sessions, must be taken from what they brought with them to Zambia. Laura brought a softball bat and tennis ball to Chipata and it was an absolute success. They’ve never played softball before, and even the teachers were intrigued, saying they had watched baseball on the telly but had never played.
The class picked it up pretty quickly. Laura’s session focus was not about winning, losing or getting people out but instead on something much more important: teamwork. It’s life skills like this that the student coaches are trying to get across in their sessions; yes, they want the kids to have fun as that is and always should be the point of any sporting activity, but they also want these kids to learn such life skills to use off the pitch.
Discipline and communication also featured heavily in Laura’s sessions, especially with the younger children. At this age (6-7 years old), their English is not as good as the older children, so doing a PE session and without a Peer Leader to help translate as was the case on this day, is challenging. However, Laura coped impressively well, her PE teacher background coming to the fore as she easily made it clear at all times for them all to ‘watch!’ (pointing to eyes) and ‘listen!’ (cupping ears) to her as she went through each activity. She wasn’t taking any nonsense either; if there was any sign of pushing or squabbles amongst the kids, she stopped the activity immediately, sending the offenders to the back of the line and threatening to leave them out all together for re-offending. Perhaps it was the Scottish accent that scared them stiff into obeying, but either way they soon realised they had to play nice to play at all.
You can see from their reaction to Laura that the kids have really taken to her, and she has really loved her time at Chipata Open Community School so far. ‘Everyone is so relaxed here, I love it’ she said. ‘You just have to go with it. If your taking a class for PE and another class wants to join in, that’s fine. You regularly get a class of 20 grow to 100 very quickly’.
Like Chawama, Chipata is a long way from Group 2’s base, taking about an hour and a half by bus. Being on her own without a placement partner as well, it is arguably the most difficult placement to be at. But calm as ever, Laura takes it in her stride, casually claiming ‘I don’t mind. There’s usually Chiko (the peer leader) around to help and there is usually always someone free in the group to come with me everyday.’ On this particular day it was me, and I can definitely say I will be visiting again.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friend Of EduSport's Chawama SEE Project
The Zambian government currently spends 136 times more money on every University student than on every Primary School student, making it hard for Primary schools to get anywhere near to the level of education they’d want to be able to offer students.
Chawama SEE (Sport Empowerment and Education) School uses the power of sport to educate, empower and inspire young individuals who attend the school. They are currently renting the land on which they teach at the cost of K1,000,000 per month, which equates to roughly around £150, which value is considerably more in Zambia than it is in Britain.
Should Chawama SEE own their own land, they’d be able to spend that K1,000,000 a month on developing and increasing its reach to young underprivileged children in the area.
Chawama is an area in which Zambian Non-Government Organization EduSport currently deploy peer leaders to utilise sport to tackle problems in society such as drug and alcohol abuse and teach of the dangers of unprotected sex.
The HIV/AIDS virus is something that should Chawama SEE be able to afford, wants to educate its pupils about comprehensively, as only 46% of young people in Zambia have knowledge of. There are currently around 710,000AIDS orphans in Zambia in an overall population of 12,000,000, something which can be prevented.
Purchasing the land would firstly allow a more sustainable future for the school and secondly allow for a more stable education environment for the children of Chawama. Should they be able to do this, they’d be able to promote a quality of education vacant in many Zambian schools. Land would also allow for the development of sport as a priority within the school and the development of CSEE into a peer leader academy of excellence.
Friend of EduSport are trying to help Chawama SEE purchase land so they can help the school educate young people of the dangers ofHIV/AIDS. Operating in a particularly underprivileged area of Lusaka, should Chawama receive the financial backing required to own their required land, they’d reduce entry school fees to encourage family’s to send their children to school when they previously may have not been able to afford education.
The school’s entry fees would then be around 50% less than in the majority of other schools in Lusaka,with that original fee also covering exam fees.
Chawama SEE (Sport Empowerment and Education) School uses the power of sport to educate, empower and inspire young individuals who attend the school. They are currently renting the land on which they teach at the cost of K1,000,000 per month, which equates to roughly around £150, which value is considerably more in Zambia than it is in Britain.
Should Chawama SEE own their own land, they’d be able to spend that K1,000,000 a month on developing and increasing its reach to young underprivileged children in the area.
Chawama is an area in which Zambian Non-Government Organization EduSport currently deploy peer leaders to utilise sport to tackle problems in society such as drug and alcohol abuse and teach of the dangers of unprotected sex.
The HIV/AIDS virus is something that should Chawama SEE be able to afford, wants to educate its pupils about comprehensively, as only 46% of young people in Zambia have knowledge of. There are currently around 710,000AIDS orphans in Zambia in an overall population of 12,000,000, something which can be prevented.
Purchasing the land would firstly allow a more sustainable future for the school and secondly allow for a more stable education environment for the children of Chawama. Should they be able to do this, they’d be able to promote a quality of education vacant in many Zambian schools. Land would also allow for the development of sport as a priority within the school and the development of CSEE into a peer leader academy of excellence.
Friend of EduSport are trying to help Chawama SEE purchase land so they can help the school educate young people of the dangers ofHIV/AIDS. Operating in a particularly underprivileged area of Lusaka, should Chawama receive the financial backing required to own their required land, they’d reduce entry school fees to encourage family’s to send their children to school when they previously may have not been able to afford education.
The school’s entry fees would then be around 50% less than in the majority of other schools in Lusaka,with that original fee also covering exam fees.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Kicking Aids Out
Over 2,000,000 African’s die from the HIV/AIDS virus every year and 7.3% of the population of the continent between 15 and 49 are infected by it.
This startling statistics seriously hampers Zambia’s progression as a nation, currently the world’s 8th poorest country. Only 46% of the young population of Zambia have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS and there are currently around 710,000 AIDS orphans in Zambia.
Kicking Aids Out is an African organisation which aims to raise the awareness of the dangers of unprotected sex. Both Lusaka based Sport NGOs EduSport and Sport In Action are part of the network which help deliver the message of Kicking Aids Out.
From the 3rd to the 6th of July, EduSport was helping its peer leaders gain their level one qualification to educate young people about the virus. EduSport staff Paul Zulu and Klevin Chasauka held the workshop at Bauleni to over 20 peer leaders who will use the knowledge gained to good effect.
Klevin Chasauka said “Most the people are cornerstones of their communities and they will take this knowledge gained to a higher level for the benefit of many”.
The peer leaders were taught about the prevention of HIV/AIDS through the practice of abstinence and the use of protection along with the best way to deliver the knowledge they had gained over the four days.
One of the attending peer leaders, Christian, said “Since I came here to attend Kicking Aids Out Level One, I feel I will be able to coach the knowledge I have gained at the workshops”.
The objective of Kicking Aids Out is that knowledge will be passed down through communities to young people who will in turn teach and educate other young people about the dangers of unprotected sex and the transference of the HIV virus.
This startling statistics seriously hampers Zambia’s progression as a nation, currently the world’s 8th poorest country. Only 46% of the young population of Zambia have a comprehensive knowledge of HIV/AIDS and there are currently around 710,000 AIDS orphans in Zambia.
Kicking Aids Out is an African organisation which aims to raise the awareness of the dangers of unprotected sex. Both Lusaka based Sport NGOs EduSport and Sport In Action are part of the network which help deliver the message of Kicking Aids Out.
From the 3rd to the 6th of July, EduSport was helping its peer leaders gain their level one qualification to educate young people about the virus. EduSport staff Paul Zulu and Klevin Chasauka held the workshop at Bauleni to over 20 peer leaders who will use the knowledge gained to good effect.
Klevin Chasauka said “Most the people are cornerstones of their communities and they will take this knowledge gained to a higher level for the benefit of many”.
The peer leaders were taught about the prevention of HIV/AIDS through the practice of abstinence and the use of protection along with the best way to deliver the knowledge they had gained over the four days.
One of the attending peer leaders, Christian, said “Since I came here to attend Kicking Aids Out Level One, I feel I will be able to coach the knowledge I have gained at the workshops”.
The objective of Kicking Aids Out is that knowledge will be passed down through communities to young people who will in turn teach and educate other young people about the dangers of unprotected sex and the transference of the HIV virus.
The Streets Of Lusaka
We walk through Kamwala shopping complex. After a month in Zambia the narrow streets with dust and dirt have become second nature to me. The colours that are now familiar are all different from the ones I see back home; everything from the warm orangey brown of the streets to the various pastels of the shops’ front doors. The shops that are small enough to be labelled as shacks. I walk along, say hello, and try to look like I belong. The only thing that gives me away is the colour of my skin.
We reach the end of Kamwala; the roads become bigger and more heavily trafficked. When crossing through a small tunnel under the motorway, my friend says “this is where I used to sit when I was sniffing petrol”. And we all agree that it’s a good place because it keeps you sheltered from the wind. The lady who is crouching at the end of the tunnel when we walk back silently concurs.
The road opens up into a field: an array of mud, dry grass and garbage. We walk up to a group of people who have gathered under a tree. A crippled man and four young boys – all of them living on the streets of Lusaka. The man tells us how he was injured in a car accident, and he pulls up his jeans to reveal a severely deformed limb. He couldn’t afford to go to the hospital, and now his leg is forever fixed in that unnatural angle. We give him some money to buy pain killers. And I think that if he is tricking us to get money for drugs, at least it will have the same effect.
Next to the field is a train station. An old steam engine is parked on the abandoned train tracks, and I think it looks like a museum, or like it is part of an exhibition of some sort. My friend tells me that this is where the street children sleep. He takes me onto the train and shows me the interior of the engine which is wrapped in dirty blankets and old clothing. Someone is sleeping inside. On the other side of the tracks is a sign, bidding me welcome to Lusaka railway station.
We cross the bridge over the train tracks and make our way into town. Every place we pass is another area of the life of the street children. This is where they beg for money. This is where they steal. This is where they play. A worn down wall with fading blue paint bears an inscription that we stop to admire; an inscription that seems like a voice from the streets of Lusaka. “JESUS HELP ME”
We reach the end of Kamwala; the roads become bigger and more heavily trafficked. When crossing through a small tunnel under the motorway, my friend says “this is where I used to sit when I was sniffing petrol”. And we all agree that it’s a good place because it keeps you sheltered from the wind. The lady who is crouching at the end of the tunnel when we walk back silently concurs.
The road opens up into a field: an array of mud, dry grass and garbage. We walk up to a group of people who have gathered under a tree. A crippled man and four young boys – all of them living on the streets of Lusaka. The man tells us how he was injured in a car accident, and he pulls up his jeans to reveal a severely deformed limb. He couldn’t afford to go to the hospital, and now his leg is forever fixed in that unnatural angle. We give him some money to buy pain killers. And I think that if he is tricking us to get money for drugs, at least it will have the same effect.
Next to the field is a train station. An old steam engine is parked on the abandoned train tracks, and I think it looks like a museum, or like it is part of an exhibition of some sort. My friend tells me that this is where the street children sleep. He takes me onto the train and shows me the interior of the engine which is wrapped in dirty blankets and old clothing. Someone is sleeping inside. On the other side of the tracks is a sign, bidding me welcome to Lusaka railway station.
We cross the bridge over the train tracks and make our way into town. Every place we pass is another area of the life of the street children. This is where they beg for money. This is where they steal. This is where they play. A worn down wall with fading blue paint bears an inscription that we stop to admire; an inscription that seems like a voice from the streets of Lusaka. “JESUS HELP ME”
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Just find the feeling and pass it on...
This week, students from the University of Stirling have done something inspirational, in more than one way. With the help of the charity Friends of EduSport, Sport and Education students Caitlin Thomson and Hayley Barr have organised the construction of a netball court in the compound of Kalingalinga situated in Zambia, the world’s 8th poorest country.
Hayley Barr with EduSport co-ordinator Kelvin
When part-taking in UKSport’s Zambian branch of the IDEALS (International Development Through Excellence And Leadership In Sport) programme, the two were both on placement coaching sport and educating about the dangers of the HIV/AIDS virus in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Following such an amazing experience, they felt the need to give something back to a community that had offered them so much.
The IDEALS student's work stretches well beyond coaching
The University of Stirling have been involved with the IDEALS project since it’s birth in 2005 sending 4 students to Lusaka every year since and this year sent nursing students for the first time.
This year, it seems their work has extended well beyond coaching.
Caitlin, 3rd year student, said “The netball girls were such an inspiration to me with their enthusiasm and passion for netball. They were incredibly talented yet did not have the facilities they deserved. Because of this I was determined to provide them with the netball court”.
The compound of Kalingalinga is one of several where Zambian Non-Government Organisation EduSport operates. They believe that by bringing people together through a love of sport, they can educate young people in the dangers of unprotected sex, drug abuse and alcoholism. They also aim to empower and inspire young people to be all they can.
The funds were raised by Hayley and Caitlin who, working with the UK Charity Friends of EduSport organised the entire project.
According the Cezarin Phiri, one of the netball players at Kalingalinga, their work will have an inspirational impact.
“Since we have a court, most of the girls will get involved. Most would say it was dangerous to play on the surface before, but now more of the girls will be inspired to play”.
However, the work extends further than just a netball court. The project has brought people together from all over Kalingalinga, eager to help do their bit in the construction. Keen to share her love for a community with her family, Hayley’s father and uncle, both builders by trade, flew out to Lusaka to help co-ordinate and construct the court.
They too were keen to help out as much as possible and repaired over 50 desks at the Kalingalinga School.
Hayley’s Uncle Arthur was delighted to be able to contribute to the project and to something which meant so much to Hayley.
“Having plastered the walls which was a great team effort by everyone, we needed something to keep us out of trouble which is when the school said they needed desks repairing which we were more than happy to do”.
Stirling’s mark has been left not only on the court, but on the wall which borders the school, where Hayley and Caitlin have painted the University’s logo to ensure recognition is given where due.
Hayley Barr with EduSport co-ordinator Kelvin
When part-taking in UKSport’s Zambian branch of the IDEALS (International Development Through Excellence And Leadership In Sport) programme, the two were both on placement coaching sport and educating about the dangers of the HIV/AIDS virus in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. Following such an amazing experience, they felt the need to give something back to a community that had offered them so much.
The IDEALS student's work stretches well beyond coaching
The University of Stirling have been involved with the IDEALS project since it’s birth in 2005 sending 4 students to Lusaka every year since and this year sent nursing students for the first time.
This year, it seems their work has extended well beyond coaching.
Caitlin, 3rd year student, said “The netball girls were such an inspiration to me with their enthusiasm and passion for netball. They were incredibly talented yet did not have the facilities they deserved. Because of this I was determined to provide them with the netball court”.
The compound of Kalingalinga is one of several where Zambian Non-Government Organisation EduSport operates. They believe that by bringing people together through a love of sport, they can educate young people in the dangers of unprotected sex, drug abuse and alcoholism. They also aim to empower and inspire young people to be all they can.
The funds were raised by Hayley and Caitlin who, working with the UK Charity Friends of EduSport organised the entire project.
According the Cezarin Phiri, one of the netball players at Kalingalinga, their work will have an inspirational impact.
“Since we have a court, most of the girls will get involved. Most would say it was dangerous to play on the surface before, but now more of the girls will be inspired to play”.
However, the work extends further than just a netball court. The project has brought people together from all over Kalingalinga, eager to help do their bit in the construction. Keen to share her love for a community with her family, Hayley’s father and uncle, both builders by trade, flew out to Lusaka to help co-ordinate and construct the court.
They too were keen to help out as much as possible and repaired over 50 desks at the Kalingalinga School.
Hayley’s Uncle Arthur was delighted to be able to contribute to the project and to something which meant so much to Hayley.
“Having plastered the walls which was a great team effort by everyone, we needed something to keep us out of trouble which is when the school said they needed desks repairing which we were more than happy to do”.
Stirling’s mark has been left not only on the court, but on the wall which borders the school, where Hayley and Caitlin have painted the University’s logo to ensure recognition is given where due.
Welcome to the best country in the world
Coming to Zambia as an IDEALS student is a daunting experience. Getting used to life and work placements in Zambia entails a lot of adapting, which is part of what makes it so rewarding for the participating students. Hayley Barr was a student on the IDEALS project in 2009. This year she is back as team leader, staying in Zambia for four months during the whole project. She is more than happy to be back.
“In my opinion it’s the best country in the world” says Hayley. “The people are so amazing – you just feel so welcome.”
Life in Zambia certainly takes some time to get used to. At first, the students were all taken aback. Hayley recognises this reaction from when she first arrived in Zambia.
“It is a little bit of a shock – the harsh life that we are protected from at home. Here you are very exposed to it and I think that’s quite hard to get used to” says Hayley.
Things we take for granted, like following a schedule, is far from guaranteed in Zambia. Planning can be a bit of a challenge for the IDEALS students. You never know if you are going to get five or fifty children for a session, and you never know if you will have access to the space or equipment that you plan on using. For Hayley, this is part of what makes it a useful experience. When back in Britain, you have a new perspective on things.
“It makes you more flexible and adaptable. You realise that it’s not a matter of life or death that everything goes as planned” says Hayley.
Time management is another issue where few Zambians would agree with Britons. When it is disrespectful to be late for a meeting in Britain, in Zambia you simply turn up when you turn up. People even walk slower than we are used to, perhaps because they are not always rushing to be on time.
“It’s a very relaxed way to live” says Hayley.
Working as an outsider can be difficult in many ways. The students all find their peer leaders very inspiring. With the amount of work they put into the project, it is common to ask yourself what you can provide in such a short time. Hayley describes how it’s easily seen as a bad thing that students get so much attention from the children, simply because they are different from their regular teachers.
“I think that’s a good thing because it creates an interest around the activities. We provide that for them while we’re here, and they can carry on with the work better after we leave” says Hayley.
Coming back as a team leader, Hayley has the opportunity to observe the project from outside. She appreciates the organisation a lot more this year, while she also sees the impact the students have in the community. She believes the students can affect and inspire the peer leaders in many ways.
“The project promotes education for the peer leaders because they see us students and want to be like us” says Hayley.
With three weeks to go for the first group of students, Hayley thinks they will start reflecting on their roles in the project over the next couple of weeks. She describes how going back to the UK was a bit of a culture shock after living such a different life for six weeks. The team leaders have prepared a reflection session to help the students deal with their impressions before leaving Zambia. Seeing so much poverty and deprivation, it is easy to question how much of an impact one project can have. But Hayley firmly believes that this one is changing lives.
“For some of the kids who come here, it is the only thing that makes them want to get up in the morning” says Hayley. “To be able to do that for someone is just amazing.”
“In my opinion it’s the best country in the world” says Hayley. “The people are so amazing – you just feel so welcome.”
Life in Zambia certainly takes some time to get used to. At first, the students were all taken aback. Hayley recognises this reaction from when she first arrived in Zambia.
“It is a little bit of a shock – the harsh life that we are protected from at home. Here you are very exposed to it and I think that’s quite hard to get used to” says Hayley.
Things we take for granted, like following a schedule, is far from guaranteed in Zambia. Planning can be a bit of a challenge for the IDEALS students. You never know if you are going to get five or fifty children for a session, and you never know if you will have access to the space or equipment that you plan on using. For Hayley, this is part of what makes it a useful experience. When back in Britain, you have a new perspective on things.
“It makes you more flexible and adaptable. You realise that it’s not a matter of life or death that everything goes as planned” says Hayley.
Time management is another issue where few Zambians would agree with Britons. When it is disrespectful to be late for a meeting in Britain, in Zambia you simply turn up when you turn up. People even walk slower than we are used to, perhaps because they are not always rushing to be on time.
“It’s a very relaxed way to live” says Hayley.
Working as an outsider can be difficult in many ways. The students all find their peer leaders very inspiring. With the amount of work they put into the project, it is common to ask yourself what you can provide in such a short time. Hayley describes how it’s easily seen as a bad thing that students get so much attention from the children, simply because they are different from their regular teachers.
“I think that’s a good thing because it creates an interest around the activities. We provide that for them while we’re here, and they can carry on with the work better after we leave” says Hayley.
Coming back as a team leader, Hayley has the opportunity to observe the project from outside. She appreciates the organisation a lot more this year, while she also sees the impact the students have in the community. She believes the students can affect and inspire the peer leaders in many ways.
“The project promotes education for the peer leaders because they see us students and want to be like us” says Hayley.
With three weeks to go for the first group of students, Hayley thinks they will start reflecting on their roles in the project over the next couple of weeks. She describes how going back to the UK was a bit of a culture shock after living such a different life for six weeks. The team leaders have prepared a reflection session to help the students deal with their impressions before leaving Zambia. Seeing so much poverty and deprivation, it is easy to question how much of an impact one project can have. But Hayley firmly believes that this one is changing lives.
“For some of the kids who come here, it is the only thing that makes them want to get up in the morning” says Hayley. “To be able to do that for someone is just amazing.”
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
“Here I am now – surviving”
“Here I am now – surviving”
Written by Boel Marcks von Würtemberg
Jay Jackson Paul Kaunda does not like his surname. While a family name represents love and unity for most people, for Jackson it is merely a reminder of past wrongs committed towards him by his own family. But forgiveness is far from beyond him: Jackson dreams of starting an organisation that encourages families to forgive and forget. Unlimited Love International is the project Jackson has created in order to help others who are in a situation as bad as his own once was.
Jackson was born in Chingola in northern Zambia. His father was a copper miner, and he passed away in a mine accident when Jackson was five years old. After his death Jackson and his mother were left with nothing.
“My father’s relatives took everything – the money, the house – everything,” says Jackson.
They moved to his mother’s sister in Ndola, but life was not much better there. Jackson’s aunt, who worked as a stone crusher, could not afford to feed the whole family. Jackson could not go to school, but had to beg for money in the streets. He managed to make enough money for his mother to start a small business selling vegetables on the market. By that time, Jackson tried to go back to his father’s relatives in Chingola.
“My mother wanted me to go to school so she said go to your uncle and maybe he can put you in school,” says Jackson.
But his uncle did nothing, and Jackson was left to the streets of Chingola at age seven. This is where he started his life on the streets. Years passed and Jackson stayed on the streets – first in Chingola, eventually in Kabwe, and finally in Lusaka. It was a rough life for a little boy.
“I used to fight a lot then, because nobody cared for me. I just thought I will never be somebody, I will never get anywhere,” says Jackson.
In Lusaka he made friends, especially one man who took a special interest in Jackson. He gave Jackson money and a place to stay. Eventually, Jackson understood that the man and his friends were robbers. They took Jackson with them to rob a house in Kabulonga.
“He told me ‘Jackson, be a man!’ but I was a boy,” says Jackson.
That’s when he decided that this life was not for him. Ever since he was left alone, his aim in life had been to go back to Chingola to kill his uncle, but when his new friends offered to do it for him, he decided that revenge was not what he wanted. So he ran away, back to the streets of Lusaka. This is when he met the people from Fountain of Hope. The social workers came to the streets and asked the children if they wanted to go to school. For Jackson, this was when he started dreaming about getting an education.
“So I decided to go with them. My friends said ‘No, no, these guys are Satanists’ but I wanted to go to school,” says Jackson.
But it was not easy to leave the streets. Jackson, now in his early teens, had become addicted to sniffing petrol, so he kept running away from the school and back to the streets. The social workers used to come after him, but one day they didn’t come, and that’s when he made up his mind. He became determined to stay in school and stopped running away. Since then he has lived at Fountain of Hope, and next year he will have completed his education. This, however, is mainly due to fortunate circumstances. Normally, street children are only allowed to stay for a few months. After that they are meant to get integrated back into society, which usually means going back to the streets.
“I knew what I wanted so I kept going back when they threw me out,” says Jackson.
Last year, he was very close to ending up on the streets again. He had gone to Ndola to visit his family, only to find out that his mother had died from aids. He did meet his aunt and his little sister, who is now ten years old. His aunt wanted him to move back there, but Jackson was determined to get an education, so he went back to Lusaka. At the prospect of being thrown out from Fountain, he was desperate. One Friday afternoon, Jackson went to the director of the school and pleaded to let him stay. The answer was still no. That would have been the end of Jackson’s education, but the director died in a car accident that very same weekend.
“When I found out I cried and blamed myself, thinking ‘did I cause this?’. But then I thought that maybe God did it for me,” says Jackson.
When he came back to school the Monday after the accident the staff let him stay, thinking that he had come to an agreement with the late director. But they still come after him at times, telling him he’s not supposed to be there. By next year when he finishes school, he will definitely have to leave. Jackson does not know where he will go when that day comes. But he does know what he wants.
Jackson has a project called Unlimited Love International. He wants to start an organisation that will help children off the streets. Many of Jackson’s friends lived on the streets because they had been thrown out of their homes by their families. The idea of Unlimited Love International is to act as a mediator in such cases, and bring the families back together. He also wants to open up an orphanage for children who don’t have families to be reunited with, particularly aids orphans. He plans to do this in his home town Chingola. When he has enough money, Jackson wants to buy a house for him and his sister. He dreams about being able to put her through school and university. And he is determined to get what he wants one day.
“Here I am now – surviving. But I have a dream, and I know that it will happen.”
Student volunteers preparing for Zambia
All students and staff in involved in IDEALS Zambia 2010 met up in
The induction started off with information sessions from UK Sport, EduSport and Sport In Action to provide a deeper understanding of the IDEALS project and its aims. The volunteers also participated in team building activities where they were given a chance to discuss their own aims and objectives within the group. Workshops included facts and figures about HIV/AIDS, and creating a group slogan and logo.
– I will have so much more to say about the project now, when we do fund raisers and things, said Joe Dale from
The sport practicals provided a clearer image of what the placement in
– You can have a lot of fun with nothing, said Tony Gillespie from
The weekend also entailed a lot of socialising for the teams, including a night at the bowling arcade in
– I didn't expect it to be like this. I thought it would be a lot of training and not as much socialising, said Grace McCatty from
The volunteers will meet again at Heathrow airport on their way to
– I think it will highlight values in life, like the fact that relationships are more important than material things, said Olivia Robinson from UWIC.
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Boel Marcks von Würtemberg
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