As I am sure you realised from our last blog, we were SO excited about sending the team of under 14’s to London for a week to play in the TOURAID Nations Cup. It had been a very long and arduous time organsing all the paperwork and training the boys who had very little experience of rugby. We really put the majority of our time and energy in getting the boys on the plane. Therefore, when we heard that 1 player and 1 coach legged it and did not return to Rwanda, we were devastated. Their incredibly selfish act has destroyed all chances for any future tours. To make matters worse we have been informed that it was common knowledge that the player was planning to run. NO ONE thought to mention it to us though. In addition we had given the coach, who we have known for 6 years our camera to take photos of the tour for mementoes for the boys. Needless to say no camera returned.
This was a week ago now but we are still recovering from the impact this has had on our morale. We completely trusted the coach, Vedaste and did so much for him in the run-up to the tour. We had even planned to work with him long-term as a rugby coach. I am quite concerned for his future in the UK, he cannot speak much English and has no passport or visa.
He has also left 4 rugby teams in Kamonyi (very rural Rwanda) coach less. These teams will be hard to maintain as their knowledge and experience of rugby is limited, and their area is hard for us to access.
In addition we have been without electricity for one week. Therefore the choking kerosene fumes have become, yet again a familiar presence in our humble home. We hope that it will come back on come today, but no important people live in our street so it doesn’t seem to be a priority of Electrogaz!
On a more positive note, we have managed to enjoy some of the Rugby World Cup Games thanks to our friendship with the Fijian family, Luc and Elenoa. They have welcomed us into their home on a weekly basis to enjoy their satellite TV and even provided Deena with a soothing cup of tea following the Aussies outing from the tournament.
Also, the Red Cross Street Kids and Christ for the Nations have played a couple of games over the last few weeks. Red Cross have so far managed to win both but the skills and enjoyment of both teams is very pleasing to see!
1 comment:
I read the last two comments with tears coming to my eyes. (Partly nostalgia, as I was a VSO in Rwanda 2003-5, and Tanzania until Sep 07) I have seen how much impact these kinds of trips have for young Rwandans (and Tanzanians). It is true that a bird needs to fly, but not usually to fly off. The East Africans I know who have the freedom to fly do not want to leave their homes, they want to improve their lives. The sad fact of the coach and player running off shows perhaps the extent of their perceived desperation in their situation. I don't know the individuals, so it's only my impression. As was said in the blog, it was an incredibly selfish act. Unthinking. But desperate also. No visa, no passport.. What kind of life will these two find? Everyone else kept the matter secret - why? Loyalty? Believing that perhaps if these two achieve their dreams (to earn lots of money?) they will return and repay this loyalty? (or afraid of the consequences of betraying them?)
Except those two actually damaged the opportunities for those loyal to them. To know what to do - if the grain is green or ripe - is so important, and it seems a huge mistake was made by all complicit individuals because of this lack of seeing the big picture, the birds-eye perspective.
But what made me feel like crying was not those running away, but the boys returning (in the previous blog). Their positive experience coming to England, boys crying on the bus to the airport, and then thinking about beans while waiting for their connecting flight. I am certain that the trip changed their lives, changed their perspective about life, and having this experienced gives them that little extra knowledge and wisdom hopefully to better know when the 'grain is ripe'.
And I hope those selfish acts don't completely ruin the chances for travel in the future. That would be a terrible shame.
Post a Comment