Good evening,
It’s been a long, busy and very rewarding first day in Burkina Faso.
First thing this morning, we visited the Mai Ampo Girls Orphanage. Coaching For Hope have set up a programme and have a girls of young teenagers, many of whom have babies and small children themselves, and nowhere to live. It was a tears in the eyes moment when five of these little children were sat in front of me and I gave each one a pair of trainers sent to me from one of my Twitter followers. It was an amazing feeling when the shoes were too big or too small, they put them on whatever and had faces with smiles from ear to ear. It was priceless.
Just around the corner we went to watch the girls team practice and football was being played everywhere. There isn’t any grass, there aren’t any pitch markings, the pitch was rock hard with stones, rocks, bumps and crevices but they did not have a care in the world. Most of them were playing in bare feet – can you imagine that at home?
Next we visited Moro Nata at his palace. He is the king of the Massi Tribe, a football lover and idolized in the whole of the West Of Africa. I had to bow in front of him and people were queuing to have an audience with him. In his very own football museum he had signed shirts from Zidane, Del Piero, Oliver Khan, Yaya Toure and all the leading players in African football. I’m not sure he was too impressed when I gave him a signed England youth shirt from when I was only 18 but it’s in his museum now, with all the big-hitters.
Soon after we headed to the national TV studios, to watch Burkina Faso v Rwanda in the African U17 Championship Final. The whole city of Ougadougou came to a standstill. They won 2-1 and the people are outside now celebrating in the streets. I found out that Barcelona have set up an academy here and also the number 10 from Burkina Faso has recently signed for Chelsea. It’s no wonder these players do so well because there are very few televisions, no computer games and all the kids just play football. The pitches are terrible and by the time they are fifteen, after playing on these pitches they are technically very good.
We’re off again now for dinner with the lady that runs the orphanage which should be interesting. This is a world away from our country – these people have nothing but they are all so happy. At one point I had a small plastic bag full of little kids toys that you could probably buy for about 10p each at home. Within seconds, forty or fifty children were pleading for a toy. It was incredible. All those football supporters coming home now, at this time after their games, moaning about the team and no doubt the manager should in their lifetime, if they can, spend a few days out here.
Sadly after such an amazing day, I found out at teatime that a special man I know is in hospital, in a very tricky position. I want to be at his bedside, I’d have cancelled everything to see him if I was at home, and it feels weird for me that I can’t be there for him tonight.
Take care,
Martin.
