Me and Massamba, AKA Zorba the Greek!
TALES FROM THE ROAD: RWANDA TAKE TWO
There are people you meet in life who you just know are something special from their presence alone. One such individual I had the fortune of meeting at the end of my first full day in Kigali. His name is Massamba Gningue and he is the Country Manager for Right to Play in Rwanda. He refused my hand at our first meeting, saying ‘no handshakes, just hugs’. Massamba is the perfect balance of strength and warmth. He is a man who listens and asks questions that make you think about what you want and what you can learn.
I shared dinner with Massamba, Bernadette, Jean-Phillippe and Emmanuel. We went to a bar serving incredible BBQ (our meat was goat, I think), grilled plantains, potatoes and red-hot chilli sauce. And of course, more beer. Rwandan beer is, I can now say with experience, refreshing and the perfect way to end a day of work. I’m not a big beer drinker on a regular basis except when I am in Africa or Mexico. Both places have great local brews and perhaps it’s the heat that makes me crave the quenching of a thirst I’ve only felt in the two locals.
The view from RTP headquarters in Kigali
During dinner, Massamba asked what I hoped to get out of the visit and after listening to my background, my desire to learn about the programs at a more in-depth level, and my intention, as always after a visit to the field, to return to Canada and share what I have seen to those not as lucky as me to come and see for themselves. It’s a difficult thing to express with words alone how the programs work. I’ve always felt that my contribution to these programs is the opportunity to raise awareness back home and encourage people, as I do, to support the programs with time and money.
To see the power of sport and play in the field is impactful. To witness the immediate effect on the children; to see the joy they feel when engaged, and then see the learning after each game when there is a discussion as to what feelings were experienced and comparing the steps of the games to situations in their daily lives is something else. These seemingly simple games are impressive on many levels. To have a better understanding of how the manuals are prepared and the process in which different games are implemented, the research and the testing and planning going into everything, reminds me of sport at my level. People never see the sheer amount of training and focus that goes into preparing for an Olympics. They only see the final race which often looks far easier than it is. It’s the same with ‘Live Safe, Play Safe’ manual or any of the Right to Play guides on early child development. It looks easy because it works.
Massamba challenged me further in saying ‘I think your story, your dedication, your focus and all of your hard work can really inspire our kids’. I was a bit hesitant wondering how I could connect with these kids as I am obviously so different. Not only do I look different, my sport is completely foreign to a country like Rwanda. In all of Africa for that matter. Massamba pushed the subject saying how the kids need to know that you are not just good and that’s it, that it takes years of preparation, training and time, of working through frustrations and never giving up. He said the kids here need to hear this and they will be inspired.
I started to think about my trip up to Nunavik last March with Joe Juneau and the experience of taking part in his hockey programs with the primarily Inuit youth. Before the trip I wondered how I could connect with these kids. It made me nervous to think about what I would say and how I would say it. But when I met the kids, well, I saw that they were just like any other kids. They wanted to be inspired and were open to inspiration, jut like me. I told them quite candidly my own struggles, lack of discipline as a teenager and the life of disfunction I could have led, and then shared with them how sport shifted this direction. I encouraged them to look for something they could connect to, as well, and that when you have something you care about, it teaches you how to care about yourself and apply yourself to things. I told them we are all the same and have the same potential inside. And they listened. I saw the connection in their eyes and never felt so good about sharing.
I thought about the Inuit youth and realized that kids are the same everywhere. The kids up north, they had never speed skated, just like the kids here in Rwanda. But that did not mean I did not share the lessons learned and the impact something had on me.
I went into the second day of the visit inspired to share and to give the kids and people more here than just mere observation or playing with the kids. I decided to give it a try and see if I could share my story and see if they would connect.
After the morning session led by Josephine and her presentation of the RTP programs in Rwanda, I made a presentation to all of the staff here in Kigali. I shared with them my history and, most importantly, why I am involved with Right to Play. From my heart I was able to tell them how I was so inspired by learning about the programs at the 2006 Olympics. How RTP and the impact on the children in their world; the transformation of suffering to joy; had inspired me to get over myself and my bad feelings at those Games of not being in shape and feelings of negativity as my preparation was derailed with illness. I won those Olympics largely in part because of the connection I made with the RTP, and told them how important and impressive their roles are.
I did the same with the group of grade 6 students at the primary school of Muhima that afternoon after a RTP session led by a RTP trained teacher. The kids listened to Steve, the RTP project coordinator with me, as he translated into Kinyarwanda, the most common language, though most kids already speak french and some english. I spoke to them as I would speak to any kids in Canada and at the end, encouraged them to find something they would connect to and apply themselves to; told them they are all athletes and that once they learn focus and discipline in something it shows them they can do anything. That’s what sport did for me as a young person and seeing all these kids, well, I truly believe that if they are given a chance to gain confidence they gain courage and can be good and great, too.
One of the older kids asked me at the end ‘are you a superstar?’ and ‘do you have everything?’. Honestly, I still feel like a kid and see myself as a young person just waiting for the next inspiration. I also gauge what I have largely on my health, and told the kids that because I am healthy and active I feel very rich indeed. I feel that I have everything because I can work towards things that mean something to me.
Since the time spent on that dusty field with a capacity for only a small fraction of the 3,200 students at the school I visited at a time (space, like it is in every large city, is at a premium and the importance of play spaces was not put into any urban planning if there was such thing), I’ve met and listened to the individuals trained to evaluate the coaches in the field on a regular basis. It was a system put into place to ensure the continued understanding of the program as well as to encourage the coaches to continue to implement the programs and games that everyone seems to agree are working very well.
One of the evaluators, when asked at the end of the session what was the most important thing he felt the RTP programs have given the children, he said ‘the games give the children so much, most importantly the discussions and learning at the end of the games. The discussions provide the setting for the kids to talk about their feelings. This is not something we are comfortable with. The kids learn it is okay to talk about how they feel.’ He then went on, with great emotion, to tell us how RTP had helped him in his life, too. How these programs and what he learned from the training he received and what he saw in the kids, well this all made him more appreciative and more able to communicate appreciation than he had been able to in his life. He said ‘when someone gives me something or helps me, I can now say thank you. I could not do that before. Thank you, Right to Play.’
Meeting with the evaluators at RTP headquarters in Kigali
While running this morning, the third run of the trip, I took a cobbled road down to some dirt roads winding down into the valley. Jean-Phillippe had suggested this direction. It was a long descent and the further I ran from the main road network of the central part of the city, the rougher the roads. Rock hard dirt/clay moguls made up a lot of the surface and I was surrounded most of the time by kids of all ages walking to school. Some said hello, others laughed and some even ran with me for a time. All beautiful children, all full of potential. I wished they, too, had the chance every child should have, and that is the outlet of sport. They joy of play.
Dusty feet after my run
I saw this outlet soon after with the group of pre-school kids at the ‘Guide’ (Girl Guides) center. I went with an evaluator and took part in a fun game of ‘in the sea, on the land’ with the little ones. They were so cute. We laughed a lot and in the end, I learned a few words in Kinyarwanda (sea and land) and was one of the last ‘kids’ left in the game. After the session, the RTP trained coach/teacher went through an evaluation session with Pacifique, the RTP staff member I was with. Sylvie, the coach, was excellent and the only suggestions were to make it a longer session if possible as many of the kids asked to play again. I have to admit, I wanted to play more as well.
Group warm up
stretching with the kids after our games
Yes I am the biggest kid but I did not care!
As we sat and did the evaluation session, the kids had their lunches. Sylvie told us a few of the kids are always sent to school with no food, and that they simply go to the other room and leave the area where the kids are eating. That’s that. That broke my heart, again. A few of the boys found the innards of a toilet paper roll and began playing some impressive one-on-one soccer. Another reminder of how kids will always find a way to play, but it’s not always ideal.
Pacifique going through the evaluation with the teacher/coach
Playing soccer with the toilet paper innards
The rest of the day was left with meetings where I was merely an observer. The most common themes of discussion with both the directors of the schools and later the Kigali Coaching Network representatives were that of the benefits of the play programs for the little ones, and the need for more terrain to play sports on for the older kids. There is a severe lack of land designated for play fields as I mentioned earlier. This part of Rwanda (and I understand though may be wrong much of Rwanda) is very hilly, and flat land has to be carved out of the ground. This costs money and unfortunately thus far, money has not been spent on play areas for kids. This is the reality of lesser-advantaged countries. If I had a million dollars I know where it would go (or should I say millions of dollars).
Meeting with Kigali Coaching Network representitives. It was a 3 hour brain-storming session
Another day is done and I am full of moments, encounters, lessons and ideas. The reality of creating environments that seem so simple, of creating opportunities that seem like a given for children, is a very complex reality. Unfortunately, as with everything, ‘rien n’est pas simple’ or nothing is simple. That things are so complex with so many layers to get through to make change happen and provide the outlets for kids to play sports is frustrating but not surprising.
I am impressed again with the patience and tenacity of the Right to Play team here in Rwanda. They have vision balanced with a heavy dose of reality in that they know how to work with the government and other agencies. This patience and meticulous planning and nurturing of relationships is crucial in order to achieve the one and only important thing: to provide each child with the right to play, the opportunity to develop self esteem and to have the tools and understanding of how they can protect themselves. These people are my heros and I feel very, very gifted to spend each moment of each day watching them in action.
Until tomorrow,
Clara
