The second week of the camp, we spent in Naivasha. We didn’t have wi-fi so we haven’t been able to update the blog, and we got a bit behind and missed the last few days in Nairobi. It’ll all be uploaded hopefully before we leave though.
Rather than doing it day by day, I’m just going to blog about the camp as a whole. OK, we weren’t actually camping, but we were self catering, at the YMCA site at Lake Naivasha. We had 2 huts with 3 of us in each, whereas the participants were all together in a big dormitory, and the other leaders were in their own rooms too. Initially, the Samba team had been put in one hut, all 6 in one: it was pretty cramped and there wasn’t any room, so we decided it would be better to split into 2 rooms.
Three groups were involved in taking part in the camp. Girls Soccer from Kibera, the girls from Mathare, and the girls from CHAMRECC – 25 young women in all. They each had two leaders, and we, the Samba group, were in charge of the coaching and the football programme. Maureen did an amazing job of organising everyone while we there. We had two football sessions a day, one in the morning from 9 till 12, and one in the afternoon from 3 till 4ish. The whole group also got up at 5.45 for a half hour run. We split into three stations for the coaching and worked on developing various aspects of the game. There was a fairly wide range of ability, but it was evident that the girls were committed, and they worked hard all week. As well as coaching sessions, we also mixed the groups to play 3 games of small-sided games to close the morning sessions. In the afternoons, we held larger games of 11-a-side, culminating in the girls taking on a local school team. They played really well, winning 2-1, but played most of the game in the opposition half.
The Samba team, with some of the older girls, and the other coaches took part in a friendly match against the local Naivasha team, who play in the 3rd tier of the Kenyan league. We gave a creditable display, but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-0 defeat. We followed that game up with another short friendly against another random team that had turned up.
On two of the evenings, we held a camp fire, with some singing, and a birthday celebration for Lawsy. In Kenyan tradition, for a birthday, the person has to be on their toes, as their friends are looking to soak them with dirty water when they least expect it. The camp fire brought the water, and despite knowing about it, he wasn’t expecting it at all! It was a great birthday for him. The only downside was that that evening, Sean took ill, and wasn’t able to take part. He was back on his feet in just a couple of days, not out for a full week like Lawsy had been, so that was the silver lining to that little cloud.
While at Naivasha, we came into contact with Collins. He had been doing some personal training around the pitch on the first day and was moved and inspired to get involved. It turned out he was a player for Karaturi FC, who play in the Kenyan Premier League. He was a humble, wise, and inspiring individual, and we spent a lot of time talking with him about football, about Sunderland, and about life as a footballer in the Kenyan Premier League. He said how he thought we were doing something special, and made a short presentation to the group about his artwork. He also talked about the sense in walking with wise people, but I think he was the wise man, and it made more sense us walking with him. It was really selfless of him to donate a huge mosaic he had made, which took him a month to complete, and which he could have sold for 10000 shillings, to take back to Nairobi to inspire young people in the slums. We have a new friend in Colo.
On the final day of the camp, we were able to present everyone who had attended the camp with a shirt. It was obvious that the girls were really appreciative of the time that they had spent at Naivasha, and that they had gained a lot from participating. They had made new friends, they had participated in everything without complaint, even the early-morning runs, and we were so pleased that they had responded so well. We feel that, especially in Kenya, it is extremely important to encourage and empower the young women, as women often don’t get as many opportunities as men, and it is of so much value to promote opportunities for them. Hopefully, the memories will stay with them for a long time to come.
Rather than doing it day by day, I’m just going to blog about the camp as a whole. OK, we weren’t actually camping, but we were self catering, at the YMCA site at Lake Naivasha. We had 2 huts with 3 of us in each, whereas the participants were all together in a big dormitory, and the other leaders were in their own rooms too. Initially, the Samba team had been put in one hut, all 6 in one: it was pretty cramped and there wasn’t any room, so we decided it would be better to split into 2 rooms.
Three groups were involved in taking part in the camp. Girls Soccer from Kibera, the girls from Mathare, and the girls from CHAMRECC – 25 young women in all. They each had two leaders, and we, the Samba group, were in charge of the coaching and the football programme. Maureen did an amazing job of organising everyone while we there. We had two football sessions a day, one in the morning from 9 till 12, and one in the afternoon from 3 till 4ish. The whole group also got up at 5.45 for a half hour run. We split into three stations for the coaching and worked on developing various aspects of the game. There was a fairly wide range of ability, but it was evident that the girls were committed, and they worked hard all week. As well as coaching sessions, we also mixed the groups to play 3 games of small-sided games to close the morning sessions. In the afternoons, we held larger games of 11-a-side, culminating in the girls taking on a local school team. They played really well, winning 2-1, but played most of the game in the opposition half.
The Samba team, with some of the older girls, and the other coaches took part in a friendly match against the local Naivasha team, who play in the 3rd tier of the Kenyan league. We gave a creditable display, but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-0 defeat. We followed that game up with another short friendly against another random team that had turned up.
On two of the evenings, we held a camp fire, with some singing, and a birthday celebration for Lawsy. In Kenyan tradition, for a birthday, the person has to be on their toes, as their friends are looking to soak them with dirty water when they least expect it. The camp fire brought the water, and despite knowing about it, he wasn’t expecting it at all! It was a great birthday for him. The only downside was that that evening, Sean took ill, and wasn’t able to take part. He was back on his feet in just a couple of days, not out for a full week like Lawsy had been, so that was the silver lining to that little cloud.
While at Naivasha, we came into contact with Collins. He had been doing some personal training around the pitch on the first day and was moved and inspired to get involved. It turned out he was a player for Karaturi FC, who play in the Kenyan Premier League. He was a humble, wise, and inspiring individual, and we spent a lot of time talking with him about football, about Sunderland, and about life as a footballer in the Kenyan Premier League. He said how he thought we were doing something special, and made a short presentation to the group about his artwork. He also talked about the sense in walking with wise people, but I think he was the wise man, and it made more sense us walking with him. It was really selfless of him to donate a huge mosaic he had made, which took him a month to complete, and which he could have sold for 10000 shillings, to take back to Nairobi to inspire young people in the slums. We have a new friend in Colo.
On the final day of the camp, we were able to present everyone who had attended the camp with a shirt. It was obvious that the girls were really appreciative of the time that they had spent at Naivasha, and that they had gained a lot from participating. They had made new friends, they had participated in everything without complaint, even the early-morning runs, and we were so pleased that they had responded so well. We feel that, especially in Kenya, it is extremely important to encourage and empower the young women, as women often don’t get as many opportunities as men, and it is of so much value to promote opportunities for them. Hopefully, the memories will stay with them for a long time to come.
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