It's hard to convey how an experience like this affects people, in the long term it could have major implications and in the short term i don't feel there's a race like the Africans that can bring just as much joy to us as we do to them. In order to inform you of how it may affect us there's some facts and figures about the community school that I (with Mel) am placed at, which may help everyone to understand. As I understand there are 3 main types of school here in Lusaka - Zambia, these being private, basic and community schools. Chibolya is a community school where I have been working over the period, which effectively means it is one the more deprived schools to be placed at, along with Mutendere. The teachers at Chibolya work voluntarily for the government in order to lower the cost of the childrens education for the year and seeing as this works out at approximately $20 for the year it is pretty staggering. Zambia has a HIV/AIDS pandemic there's no two ways about it, around 20% of people are thought to have the HIV virus but at Chibolya this is believed to be more like %40 and seeing as around %60 of the children (grades 1 - 9) are single or double orphans the chances of them affording or being able to get treatment is pretty low in addition to many of them not understanding that they need treatment the pandemic may inevitably get worse before it gets any better. The problem is heightened in communities like Chibolya, which is very close to a compound that is run by criminals with drugs and alcohol problems, the police do not even enter this compound as they will be overrun. The reason it is heightened is that the children need to work to get money for their family, often families of 4 or 5 are looked after by their eldest brother or sister at just age 12 and the work they do can range from selling charcoal outside their house to prostitution. Prostitution is a massive hurdle that needs to be overcome if the HIV/AIDS pandemic is to be eradicated which is the ultimate goal. It's happened with other viruses so why not HIV??
This is where we have stepped in, there have been so many things going on. HIV/AIDS clinics, sports coaching, PE lessons, peer leader sessions, kids clubs, football matches, coaching, training, counselling, visits to the special needs school and soooooo much more. Sport is a huge tool that we have used out here and it has been made so much better being surrounded by world cup fever!!!!! If in doubt a Zambian will talk to you about the world cup for hours on end, i always start a coaching session talking to my Under 14 Chibolya lads about the world cup. In simple terms they "love it" and we have realised how it brings people from so many backgrounds and races together. Whilst this is indirectly related to the HIV/AIDS pandemic we can use sport to gain the confidence and trust of the children and then when we do inform them of the problems associated with HIV/AIDS they may just take what we say on board which can only be of a benefit to them and their community and possibly even the country and continent in the long run. In addition if we can put a smile on their faces, remove them from their problems in the short time we spend with them, then we know we have an immediate effect in that respect. I don't know about anyone else but i can safely say that it makes me feel amazing too, so much so that I have decided to stay on for a few more months to try and help in other areas. I will be undertaking this at the olympic stadium where the facilities literally are phenominal. This is an example of a project that has blossomed and one in which sport has affected the people of Zambia. If we can use sport along with counselling to affect people as this project has then when we ask ourselves if it is all worth it the only answer is...... "OF COURSE IT IS!!".
Nathan xxx
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