#oydc

Hey folks,

We’re now into our last few days in Zambia, so today we had a few things to get through before leaving! We started at the Edusport office before heading out to OYDC! We were taking 400 books out to OYDC for their literacy program. There was some confusion regarding the time we were to meet the director, so we got to sit & watch the under 17 national ladies train! They were really good! The squad was massive because they were doing trials, so the efforts of the girls were top class! There was one player who was not only particularly striking as a player, but she was also a Muslim! It was amazing to see a Muslim girl getting the opportunity to be involved in the national squad! It was easy to see why; she was scoring goals, pushing back down the line to support the defence & pushing the ball up the park completely unselfishly! She was a fantastic footballer and an even more inspirational role model to other Muslim women and girls! When we met with the director he had organised a team of young people to receive the books & the media were there to get an interview & some photos for the paper! Fiona was interviewed by Movi TV, as were a few of the young people with their books. The young people who spoke were so appreciative of the books we had given them & really seemed to be enjoying reading them. After OYDC we were heading to Bauleni to see the BUSA team for one last time. I wasn’t looking forward to this because Fred & the rest of the team had made us feel so welcome! Having had my team in Bauleni for the football tournament I felt quite attached to Bauleni. It’s such a welcoming place. While there there was some corf ball going on with a peer leader, there were majorettes practising and there were some kids playing football; both with leather balls & chimpombwas. We said our goodbyes to the guys there & came back to the hostel. Me and Fiona were in the pool for a little bit; just for a photoshoot for Educate, Empower, Inspire! It was really cold in the pool!! We just chilled here tonight and contemplated our final day tomorrow!

That’s all folks!

Hey folks,

After OYDC we were going with Lyson into town. Fiona and Lyson had a radio interview to do for Sky FM and I was going to meet Godfridah to go to Ngombe. There was a mix up with communcations which meant I ended up in Sky FM too. This was totally fine with me; got a wee comfy seat for a half hour and some banter from the other guys who would be featuring on the radio show. The DJ said I could go into the studio to take a photo of Fi & Lys on set, but what he didn't say was that he would introduce me on air and chat to me! I'm so glad I couldn't see my own face, I must have been scarlett! Saying that, how amazing is that to be on an international radio station?! Fiona talked about my role as a Youth Legacy Ambassador too which was awesome, so massive thanks should go to her!! We managed to record the whole interview using Fi's iPhone so I will post the link for the clip later!

I met Godfridah after my radio performance and we headed out to Ngombe. It was seriously hot today and I felt like I'd been on the bus for hours! We got there and met with Susan Banda who is the program leader for Ngombe. She was awesome at motivating the children and really made sure everyone felt involved during the movement games. Today's session in Ngombe was a netball one, so it was girls only. I got to watch them play for a bit which was amazing! They're pass success rate must have been 100% and their agility and speed were spot on! Susan told me that they have mixed teams ranging from U15 to U21. The girls wanted their photograph taken with me before I left, which was really cool as it made me feel like part of their community. The bus ride home equally felt as long today in the heat but we got back in good time. After dropping off the bus I just had one street to walk to get home. Godfridah walked down with me and we got some bolongi from a vendor on the street. Godfridah told me this stuff is made from a grape like fruit, that is pressed down to a pulp and have ground nuts in it too. She said it's mixed up in a big pot, like nshima- but it's baked with fire above and below. This stuff was seriously minging, but so I wasn't rude I ate what I had been offered! I will be avoiding it at all costs next time! Give me a fritta any day!!!

Had more wildlife joining me for a shower today, but thankfully not in the form of a cricket! Today it was a gecko. It was quite small really, but totally freaked me out. Again this has probably been one of my quickest showers! Finished the night tonight by having dinner with Lyson and his friend. We had dinner at the Lusaka Backpackers and watched the Barca vs. PSG game. Can't deny my disappointment in PSG not winning, but there's always next time.

That's all folks,