Our week in Kigoma has just finished. Kigoma is a small town located on the western part of Tanzania on Lake Tanganyika (the longest and second deepest lake in the word). It is primarily a fishing and agricultural based economy.
We had 5 training sessions with the coaches and ran 6 training sessions for girls and boys ages 5-16+ in the area. We worked with the same group of coaches every morning and traveled to different local schools in the afternoon.
It has been a very fulfilling week for Brian (my fellow CaC volunteer here) and I. While this is my first experience coaching in Africa, Brian has already run programs in S.Africa and Malawi . He has been extremely helpful getting me settled and up to speed with the way things work in Africa . I have learned a lot about the culture and challenges they face to successfully run sport programs here in Kigoma.
All of the coaches we worked with in Kigoma are volunteers. Many are teachers, a few are former players, and most were mothers or fathers. They coach for the same reasons as we do – they love the game of soccer, they enjoy playing with the children and they want to provide opportunities for the children in the community to learn and be healthy. We had 7 female coaches in our group of 20 coaches which made me very pleased.
All were eager to learn and participate. By the end of the week when we had them run practice coaching sessions everyone had improved. A few of the coaches were repeat coaches who had attended CAC sessions here in Kigoma in 2008 and 2009. Their experience and confidence was obvious in comparison to the newer coaches. It was great to have them back not only to continue their development but to connect them with the other coaches in the community. So now they have a foundation of 20 coaches with the same coaching curriculum, philosophy, and similar methodology to build upon. And Nico, the local director of sport in Kigoma will oversee these coaches. Checking in on them routinely to watch training sessions, and to make sure that each coach is establishing both a girls and boys team in their respective areas/school.
I love working with the children here. To sum it up in one word -- AMAZING! When Brian and I arrive at a field we feel a lot like the pied piper.
As soon as we arrive one boy inevitably acts like the town crier announcing our arrival by shouting "Mzungu!" (Swahili for white person)
And then hundreds of children flock from every direction, escorting us on the 200 yard walk to the field to make sure we don't get lost. When we arrive, they encircle us, staring at us making us feel like the latest addition to a zoo. It can be disconcerting at times. I am sure if we stood there all day doing nothing, they would not move either and continue their watchful vigil over us.
A typical session would begin with~20-30 kids, but end with anywhere from 60-90 kids participated and usually 30+ more watching from mere inches away. We never know exactly how many players we will have at a session and it changes by the minute during a session anyway -- equal groups one minute and the next moment you look 2 kids have left and 5+ new ones have jumped in at the end of a line! Time and numbers are very loose concepts here in Tanzania (affectionately known as "Africa time") so as a coach you have to be very creative, adaptable, and flexible.
The conditions here? Tanzania is just about 3 degrees south of the equator so it is hot , sunny, and about 90 degrees every day. It is the middle of the dry season, so the fields are extremely dry -- think concrete! They are a combinations or red clay, sand, and mainly there is just dust everywhere. In addition there are rocks, trash, and glass. Nets? What nets. Goals? We are lucky if we show up to a field and there are 2 tree limbs for uprights (often times they are taken for firewood).
There are also goats and chickens grazing on the fields, depositing 'land mines' strategically, as well as foot paths and even roads right through the middle of fields.
And don't expect the cars or mopeds to stop...best to arrange your training in an area that avoids the road as they will just honk and expect you to get out of their way. And the fields are anything BUT flat...there are massive potholes, ravines, craters, hills, bumps and drop offs. Ankles and ACL's beware! Equipment? We actually have been quite fortunate in that we had 7 'balls' (2 were volleyballs) for the 70+ players we trainined in the afternoons plus the 13 cones I shoved in my bag at the last second before leaving the US. There are no lines, no shin guards, no pinnies, no fancy warm-ups, and usually no balls. This is actually the biggest issue they face here--not enough balls. they are lucky if they have one and often times they play with a "street ball" made from plastic grovery bags bound up over and over again by bits of twine they find in the street.
The children show up for training either barefoot, with one shoe, or typically in flip flops (which are quickly converted to forearm guards so they don't lose them). They wear second hand clothes (most from the US) torn and tattered. The girls typically play in their school uniforms (shirts and a white blouse) or in their sarongs (a large piece of cloth tightly wrapped around as a skirt also known as kangas here), so they are very restricted and not free to move as an athlete.
Yet despite all these conditions I have described the children smile, laugh, and are happy! They are so excited and eager to play and learn. They listen and watch intently. They patiently wait their turn, laugh, cheer, and encourage their friends and teammates. They step on rocks, stubs toes, get stepped on, and fall down, but they NEVER complain, cry, or whine! It is brilliant! Watching one of our practices from the perimeter is much like seeing "Pig Pen" in a Charlie Brown cartoon.
There is a massive cloud of dust and dirt that builds, encircling the group until it engulfs us all. Consequently we leave every session with what I have affectionately named the "ICK". It is a wonderful bl;end of sweat, sunscreen, and countless layers of dust/dirt. the most endearing feature of the ICK is it gets better every day. Not even a 'shower' (cold water drip) and soap will cut through all the layers of ICK, so it grows thicker and thicker every day. In addition Brian has coined the term "Brown Lung" because of all the dust we inhale. It not only coats our lungs, but alsolines the insides of our nose, clogs our ears, and gunks up our eyes.
It has been a great 1st week in here in Tanzania. The coaches are committed to improving themselves and creating opportunity for the children in Kigoma. Progress has been made over the 3 years CaC has been here and will continue after we leave thanks to the foundation that has been laid and commitment of the local coaches.
Next stop Geita!
Tracy
P.S. The Director of Sport in Kigoma, Nico Pota, and the coaches here send a BIG THANK YOU to all the Dynasty students who donated gloves, shorts, socks, cleats, gk jerseys, balls, and pens/pencils. They were thrilled. All will be put to good use.
P.P.S. Please check out Brian's blog for the next part of our journey at either... www.getjealous.com/suskiewicz or http://sportingcommunities.edwardswan.com/?p=2911
He has put up 2 posts. One was our journey from Kigoma to Geita (a MUST read) and the 2nd was about our time in Geita....I am a bit behind in posting due to the internet issues here!
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