The first half of 2018 has proven an exciting one as several new projects come to fruition including exploring new opportunities in Jordan and the UK. As Cricket Without Boundaries’ continues to grow beyond our HIV-education origins we look to play to our strengths of inclusion and non-discrimination by addressing gender issues, including girls’ empowerment, and refugee integration.

This spring CWB sent three volunteer teams to Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, as well as running a repeat of our very successful Leeds Trinity student placement project to Rwanda.

Kenya: 25th February – 10th March

The Kenya team were for the first time delivering a standard 2-week project that addresses both ending FGM and HIV education. Starting in Laikipia county, and joined by our very own Masaai Cricket Warrior ambassador Benja, the team coped admirably with often long journeys in this very rural region of Kenya. While Benja and other members of the Masaai community spoke with young people about ending FGM the volunteers emphasised the importance of gender equality and girls and boys having the right to the same opportunities in life.

After a quick stop off at the equator for a game of cricket with some local ladies, the team then proceeded to Muranga where Cricket Without Boundaries’ legend Mathias had an itinerary in place that would make even the most experienced CWB volunteer do a double take. The team coached a stunning number of young people, and helped facilitate coach education in both HIV and cricket as well as a very successful “testing” festival. The final stop for the project was Nakuru where CWB has been working for many years; as volunteer George noted it was striking how familiar young people here were with the ABCT messages and is a testament both to local coach George’s ongoing work as well as the time CWB volunteers have put into the region.

Read the blog here: http://cwbblogs.com/kenya18/

Rwanda: 25th February – 10th March

The Rwanda team set off to break new ground, visiting Musanze for the first time in a long time for CWB as part of the Rwanda Cricket Association’s strategy to have cricket in every region of Rwanda by 2020. Kicking off with Coach Education for an excellent 29 adults, the team proceeded to adapt, innovate and thoroughly enjoyed 6 days of coaching and festivals in the region. The trip coincided with March 2nd “Zero Discrimination” day, and the team did a fantastic job of using integrated learning activities to get young people to think about who could play cricket (everyone!) and how we can end stigma in our community.

Next stop was Huye, hampered in places by rain the team nevertheless delivered some stellar sessions with children from primary all the way through to the oldest secondary school years. While here Public Health England volunteer Louise had secured a meeting with representative from the Public Health department of the University of Rwanda who came to observe a session. There was great enthusiasm for the innovative ways CWB incorporate HIV prevention messages into cricket games and plans have been made to work together in the future to help evaluate the impact of these games. The team wrapped things up in Kigali where they visited old CWB friends from MEG foundation, new ones from APECOS Rwanda Orphanage, and helped Ambassador Eric launch cricket in some new schools in the capital.

Read the blog here: http://cwbblogs.com/rwanda18/

Uganda: 17th-31st March

Despite some challenges with the weather team Uganda battled onward to make sure as much cricket as possible was delivered in Kabale, their photos from the region a testament to their tenacity as normally dry fields looked more like rice paddies and innovation was the name of the game. Nevertheless, the team ran a very successful testing day as well as lots of fun school sessions, before heading onwards to Kasese where new volunteers Bill and Kris took the lead with very well received Coach Education. This region has become something of a powerhouse of Ugandan cricket especially for girls and so teachers will have appreciated the opportunity to learn skills to push their players technical development.

The final stop on the trip was Fort Portal. With the Uganda Cricket Associations decision to focus CWB’s efforts in the west of the country the town has had regular coaching over the last few years, both from ambassador Manny and volunteer projects, the standard of cricket and knowledge of the ABCT HIV prevention messages is very high here, and the team were impressed by the knowledge and enthusiasm of all involved here. They were also able to visit the smaller community organisations that CWB has developed relationships with including the team at Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation, a happy opportunity to ensure that cricket really is for everyone in Uganda.

Read the blog here: http://cwbblogs.com/uganda18

Rwanda (Leeds Trinity):

For the second year in a row CWB sent a team of volunteers from Leeds Trinity University to Rwanda, led by CWB’s Head of Delivery Lee Booth. The two-week project visited Gitarama, Kayonza and Kigali and saw the students delivering cricket sessions focused not just on HIV prevention but also strong implementation of CWB’s new HIV myth-busting game as well as activities to find out from participants about their hopes for the future, and how participation in sport makes them feel.

The team learnt a lot from the two weeks away, learning how to coach big-number sessions, picking up some key coaching phrases in Kinyrwandan, and delivering fun and simple bat and ball games that everyone at CWB hopes they will take with them into future careers as sports coaches and PE teachers.

Read the blog here: http://cwbblogs.com/rwanda2018

Jordan: 20th-27th April

The first half of 2018 saw an exciting new step for CWB as the charity travelled to Jordan to pilot a refugee education and integration programme alongside global players UNHCR and Right to Play. A team of 5 volunteers spent a week in the country delivering Coach Education to local community leaders, and cricket taster sessions to Jordanian, Syrian and Palestinian children, while also meeting with key partners to discuss the future sustainability of delivery in this region.

The team met some inspirational characters along the way, from teachers and students at a unique special needs school where play-based learning was institutionalised, to young boys and girls from both Jordan and Syria living and learning side-by-side just a handful of kilometres from the Syrian border. With a network of contacts now established, and proof positive that cricket will be well received in this region, it now falls on our new Jordan Country Manager Jamie Scattergood to press on with future plans. A big thank you to him for what he has made happen so far!

Read the blog here: http://cwbblogs.com/jordan18

Ambassadors: Cameroon, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya

The CWB ambassadors have had a good start to the year, despite challenges including unseasonably heavy rain. All ambassadors are now familiar with and using our mobile phone based reporting system, which means we get to see a great picture of what they’ve been up to. While we are still experiencing some teething problems with the GPS function on the system you can get a pretty good idea of what has been going on by checking out this map:

View Ambassadors Jan - Jun 2018 in a full screen map

As always, our main method of communication between the team in the UK and our ambassadors is WhatsApp. We regularly get photos through showing us how cricket is developing in their region, and have begun piloting the drip-feeding of new social-messaging focused activities. This photo montage represents just a small part of what they are up to, but we think it provides a pretty great summary:

Let’s Be Women: Durham CCC Foundation and Girls Friendly Society

CWB’s Let’s Be Women programme, using cricket to talk to girls about their hopes and challenges in a positive, empowering environment, entered into a new phase this spring, in partnership with Durham CCC Foundation and the Girls Friendly Society. Volunteer leaders from GFS, who have a strong background in supporting girls to develop their confidence, self-esteem, wellbeing and resilience, took part in a day’s training with CWB volunteers to deliver simple games and integrated learning activities.

Since the training, the GFS volunteers have gone on to deliver a 6-week block of activities in three centres with ongoing support from Durham and CWB. The sessions have been a great success, with lots of positive stories about developing teamwork, communication skills and a love of cricket and sport.

Hampshire Indatwa

As part of an innovative partnership linking the Hampshire Cricket Boards’ Women and Girls programme with Rwandan girls’ team Ndatwa, coached by CWB’s own “tall” Eric, members of Hampshire’s women and girls’ clubs held a successful drive to collect 5 kitbags packed full of good quality, appropriately sized equipment which was delivered to the Ndatwa team this Spring as well as matching Hampshire-branded uniforms.