IN A world
of G8 summits, global pop concerts and special
commissions, it is impossible to avoid the issue
of Africa. So how can three cricket enthusiasts
be of help? Motivated by a desire to put fine
words into actions Chris Kangis, a solicitor at
Allen & Overy, Andrew Hobbs, an England and
Wales Cricket Board development officer, and
myself, a barrister, will follow one of the most
famous travel routes in the world — Cairo to the
Cape.
We’ve called our seven-month trip Cricket
Without Boundaries (CWB) and we aim to raise
awareness of HIV/Aids through the medium of
cricket coaching.
CWB will set off on
October 14 and will travel (mostly) overland
through Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia,
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho.
Throughout, we will be working with the
International Cricket Council (ICC) and Hoosain
Ayob, its Africa regional development manager,
cricket associations, UNAIDS and the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office.
In each country CWB will spend a day working
with local teachers, delivering the ICC
“Introduction to Cricket” course which covers a
basic introduction to the game but mainly
focuses on becoming a coach.
Part of the day will be devoted to Aids
awareness. In an informal group those with the
greatest power to alter behavioural patterns,
the teachers, will be able to talk about what
they know about the disease, what HIV/Aids is,
how it is passed on and how HIV can be treated.
It is at this stage that the UNAIDS officers
will become involved.
CWB will then take the newly qualified
coaches to deliver day-long coaching sessions at
several cricket grounds or schools. The newly
qualified coaches will be “mentored” through
three days, putting into practice what they have
learnt on the course. The aim is for coaches to
be leading the session by day three.
Finally, there will be a festival day, where
each venue visited will bring teams to a central
venue. Each team will be allocated a local coach
to support and coach them throughout the day. At
the end of the festival each child will be given
a T-shirt, with a simple slogan, “Let’s help to
bowl Aids out of Africa”. The festival will also
provide the time for UNAIDS officers to talk to
the children about the disease.
It is not just equipment that the countries
need, but the ability to be able to coach and
develop the game. Accordingly, CWB will leave
behind not only resources such as coaching
manuals and cricket equipment, but also newly
qualified coaches to ensure a sustained
development of the game.
By May next year we hope to have ensured that
at least 1,000 children are playing cricket and
350 people are coaching cricket in places as
diverse as Cairo, Kampala and the Namib Desert.
This is something that has never been attempted
before. The challenge is an enormous one, but
the rewards are even greater.
For more information: http://www.cricketwithout-boundaries.com/.
The author is an employment barrister at
St-Philips Chambers,
Birmingham
