Apologies for the delay in updating the blog, we have been enjoying the comforts of the UK on our school holidays, making use of a return ticket purchased in March! Thankfully we have been able to leave the rugby coaching in the more than capable and enthusiastic hands of our first volunteer coaches, Kate Alback and Toby Kyle. As if flying halfway around the world from their current home in Shanghai to spend their school holidays (they are also teachers) coaching rugby in Rwanda wasn’t enough, they did so with the burden of 7 bags weighing 110kgs full of donated balls and rugby kit. Thanks guys!
We were lucky enough to spend a week with these guys before we left for our break. Here is Kate’s experience of the coaching in her own words….
On arrival in Rwanda we organised a tight schedule of training for 2 hours every morning with one orphanage, 3 days a week at the Red Cross Street Kids Centre, and one day a week with the University. Our plan was to have a full timetable of coaching for two weeks and then take some time out to travel. The coaching has been hard work but so rewarding, we have loved every minute of it. The kids in the orphanage are adorable, they train so hard and have developed from nothing into great teams. Not only have we introduced a new sport for them but we have taught some students to referee and coach and have given them some materials with which to make their own kits. The final tournament was like a trip of a life time for the them, especially as they won. Over 100 of these children share one dormitory, and only posess one set of clothes. In introducing them to the sport they have a focus every morning and have a chance to shine. They have the opportunity to win new clothes and now most of them now feel part of a team, learning English words in the process.
We have started each day coaching touch rugby to children as young as 12 who speak no English and finished the days coaching contact rugby to University students. We have enjoyed the flexibility as we can take days out to visit the gorillas and other safari areas as well as spend valuable time with the children. We have attended a local wedding and chosen to sponsor a child through school. If you have a month, or even two weeks to spare I could not think of a more memorable and rewarding way to spend your time.
We had our tournament on Monday and it was amazing! We took 3 teams of big boys (aged 14-15) who we have taught to play from nothing from one orphanage to the red cross centre where the boys are more 16- 20 and have been playing for 3 months and the orphanage boys thrashed them. We also took about 50 small boys along from the orphanage who played their own little league and we were able to ask some players from Rwanda National Team to referee and choose players of the tournament etc. We had some T-shirts made so every kid received a T-shirt (most only have one set of clothes) and the best players won a sports outfit, donated from our kids in China. I think it is the only trip out of the orphanage the kids have ever had and they absolutely loved it.
Now is the hard time as we are preparing to move on and we are not ready to leave. We have decided to sponsor a child through secondary school in return for him continuing the rugby once a week at the orphanage. It will cost us about 150 pounds over 6 years. The boy’s name is Dardie, he is a Congalese refugee. His village in Congo was surrounded by rebels about 5 years ago. They killed his entire family except his younger brother and so Dardie lived in the jungle for two years before being picked up by the orphanage.
It is so sad that of the 18 older boys we have been working with, none of them will be able to go on to secondary school as they have no parents and therefore no money. Also the kids only get one meal a day; the same meal every day – starch slop. They have no nutrition and therefore are tiny for their age and very unhealthy. We are desperately trying to find a way to secure some more funding for the school to get them some more food.
On a brighter note, we are off on a safari weekend, our first bit of tourism since we have been here, and next week we are going to visit some other schools in the countryside.
If you are interested in sponsoring one of the 18 boys to go to school, please let me know asap and we can enrol them in school whilst we are here.
Thanks so much for your support
Kate and Toby
We were so happy to have the support of Kate and Toby and are happy that their visit went well as providing a blueprint to host other volunteers in Rwanda over the coming years. Thanks guys!
