Area Best

Thursday, January 31, 2013 (Day 22)
Makeni 

Bob and Alex meet me and we draw up a schedule for my remaining time with them and the Craig Bellamy Foundation league: meet all the co-ordinators on Sunday; host the homework club for two weekends; try to get our inter-primary school cup pilot scheme off the ground; meet NGOs and try to involve them more in the kids’ community projects; give coaching sessions to the teams that still don’t have sponsors for this season and promote them on the blog; try to raise cash for one of the teams for the 2013 season etc. etc.

Moses’ team – Area Best – make it through their first qualifying play-off for the Sierra Leone premier league. Wusum stadium is buzzing with expectation throughout, helped by the loud shouts and opinions of the MC who excitedly commentates on the whole match with the aid of a loud speaker.  

I would love to stay and watch all the play offs but, as continues to be the case, I am still struggling with the climate here. It is the days when the humidity is ninety plus that do me. I sweat myself silly and then I begin to feel a combination of unbelievably tired and unbelievably thirsty. Luckily for me it is one of Famarta’s signature dishes for dinner: mashed potato and groundnut soup. It might not sound appealing but it is damn tasty. After finishing it off – sweat pouring out of me - Kate, Charlotte and I sit out until late discussing all manner of connected and unconnected subjects starting with human rights issues; Kate’s extra teaching job she bagged today with some local Catholic nuns; and ending up with the merits of hot lime juice in the tropics.