Today I wanted to spend the whole day at STB to see how a typical day pans out for the kids. They all arrive from the streets at around half 9. They get washed and changed into a STB uniform which has been donated to them by a Swiss company. (The founder of STB is a Swiss guy)
I would be lying if I said I didn't think they were different kids the second they changed into their red Swiss T-shirts. They were transformed from the rags they wear everyday to looking just like any other child and at the end of the day that's all they are. They are well behaved, friendly, happy children that clearly love coming to STB and STB is all they have if they want to get away from the dangers that living on streets possesses.
At 10 o'clock we walked down to the fields where STB have a fenced area for the children to safely play in. This area is supposed to be regenerated into a brand new football for hope facility but for some absurd reason the government are making it very hard for STB to complete the plans that are ready and waiting to go. So instead of a nice office building with showers, toilets and an artificial pitch, the kids have a tarmac basketball court and a stoney mud pitch for football.
As I sat and watched the kids do some fun relay races I got talking to G some more who had a day off school and happened to be watching the kids too. I wanted to know more about him and he was willing to tell me his story that I'm sure is not the only one of his kind. G has no family, his mother died giving birth to him and his dad died when he was very young whilst working in construction. G was originally born out in the country but made his way to the city when he was around 6 years old. Since the age of 6 he did what he could to get money, shine shoes, sell chewing gum, run errands etc. He said someone would give him something to sell and he would go off and sell it. He lived
on the streets and did this until STB found him when he was 11.
When STB found him they wanted to find out about his family and so took him back to the country where he found out about his parents through his cousins and then could work out roughly how old he was. Can you even imagine that? This is common with almost every child and we take so much for granted but not even knowing your age is something that I can't even begin to imagine. After being with STB for the first year he was then integrated into an orphanage and went to school independently from there. G is a very independent man anyway and when he was 16 he decided to leave the orphanage and live by his own means. He is sponsored by a Swiss volunteer that was clearly touched by his story a few years ago and so he helps with G's life financially. G's love and passion for how STB helped him was clear to see and hear and the man that I saw in front of me was a person that I would never of guessed to have such a hard upbringing. G, like all the other boys at STB are the real inspiration behind my ride and it brings me to tears just thinking about their lives.
Without the amazing support from my family and friends I would really struggle with this ride and I have done but deep down I know they will be there when I finish. G had 5 years of his life from the age of 6 with absolutely nobody being there for him. A lost childhood that could so easily of turned into an even worse adulthood. This is absolutely unimaginable and to hear him say that he wants to be a computer engineer and is predicted 650 out of 700 is a huge message to everybody that ever felt like giving up on something because things weren't going their way.
I have no doubts that the success story of G's life will continue and I wish him all the best. Another young man that I have met on my ride that I will never forget and I am blessed to have had the privilege to talk to him about his life.
After the relay races the boys had a little tournament on the football pitch. The energy the kids had in the searing heat amazed me along with their footballing ability and athleticism. One kid scored a great goal and then topped it off with a celebration of a cartwheel and back flip combination. The ending was hilarious as when he nailed the landing of the back flip his shorts fell straight to the ground exposing his bare behind to all the other boys watching which naturally triggered a roar of laughter from everyone.
I mentioned before how the government are restricting any building plans for the new facility. I sat in disbelief at what Jonas was telling me and it seems that they have no care for the development of these kids and the great work that STB do. It makes me angry and sick to think that STB's main challenge is convincing their own government just to say yes, so selfish and upsetting and i hope one day they will open their eyes and realise the damage they're doing.
After football we all went back to the office for lunch. All the kids and staff get fed lunch and I was lucky enough to be accepted in this also. The curry I had with injera was a pretty spicy one today and it caught me off guard. I had finished my bottled water so just took a few sips of tap water to ease my burning lips. I don't know whether this was to blame or maybe the many other ways you can get sick in this country but either way, from then on my health took yet another downturn and I was reacquainted with my familiar monstrous friend.
It didn't happen instantly so over lunch I sat and watched the staff play a few board games whilst I flicked through a book of some of STB golden rules and team bonding games that they play. Playing board games seems like such an ancient past time but it is probably the reason behind why the friendships and bonds between people in Africa is so strong. With no Internet and no smart phones to play on, the social life is just that, social. It is very common to see people back home all sat on their phones at a table and some would rather message others then speak to each other face to face. At lunch today we had laughs and joked who was the best at checkers and not only was it mentally stimulating but it increased the social bond between friends. When I get back home and crack open connect four in my local pub and wait for any takers I will probably be laughed at or stared at but I'm used to this anyway. A scrabble league is probably a bit farfetched but I can always dream of a more social relationship between myself and some of my "busy" friends.
After lunch I passed some of my collected knowledge and experience of coaching over the past 9 years onto the STB coaches. I enjoyed myself and hope the other coaches did too. I managed to talk for an hour and a half which came pretty naturally and I'm sure this is just a small fraction of how long I can talk for about my trip which is something I'm hoping to do when I get back. I haven't quite decided on my best target audience yet but its probably best I finish the ride first.
In the evening I didn't coach in the end, instead we had a football match on the stoney mud pitch that the kids played on during the day. I didn't feel good at all. It was like someone had pumped my stomach up to just before bursting point and so I felt very heavy for the whole match. The ground made it hard to commit to anything as well. The dusty floor made it slippery and hard to stop, hard to commit to tackles and also to shooting and I was amazed how some players could manage to stay on their feet, especially the guy wearing pink slippers. They weren't even shoe slippers with backs on the heels, they were flip flop style pink fluffy slippers!
We had a lot of fun and everyone played fair with no issues at all. We caused no trouble and were doing no harm to anybody. Why then, why a man from the government who was in charge of the ground felt that he had to take one of the goals away and lock it up whilst we were still playing is absolutely beyond me! I wish I knew what they were saying as I would've told him exactly what I thought of him. The STB coaches Jonas and Grimmy were rightfully annoyed and protested but this jumped up little pea head from the government was having none of it and selfishly took the goals away. That ended our match sourly and abruptly and put a real downer on what was a very enjoyable match (despite my belly feeling like a hot air balloon)
I went to grab some food in the hope that it may sort out my stomach, no such luck unfortunately. If anything it made things worse because it was an amazing burger which I couldn't finish! So I was doubly disappointed that I had to waste good food and I still felt rough as guts.
I got back to the office in time to commence my night of shuttle runs to the toilet. Luckily the nurses room where I'm sleeping is next door to the toilet so I didn't have far to run. I was now legitimately on the sick bed and experiencing all too familiar rumblings.
A sleepless night awaited but when you put it into context with some of the things these boys have had to endure, its not even worth mentioning.
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