Half-Way Checkpoint

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Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long between updates! I planned to do it last weekend and then found I had 20 emails and spent 2 hours sorting them out so gave up on the blog! But here is the next exciting installment of my trip.
Being rainy season, nothing overly-exciting has really been happening. Any volunteer trips that we've had planned for the weekends have been cancelled due to bad weather and New Hope are all cooped up inside as the field is flooded! However, there a couple of events I would like to tell you about...
A couple of weeks ago I went to visit another project in Magongo (a suburb of Mombasa) that is essentially a sports project where the volunteers teach football and basketball to kids of all ages at a local school. On this particular day however, they had arranged for two groups of street boys to come together and have a huge football match and then take them out for lunch afterwards! It was so cool but really surreal as I see some of those boys sleeping on the streets in Mombasa and here they were, kitted out in some donated football kits, playing a proper football match! I managed to get on one of the younger teams for the second game and we won 2 - 0! They were so grateful and when they realised they got lunch as well they couldn't believe it!
Last weekend most of the volunteers in the house (10 of us altogether) rented out to safari trucks and went to Shimba Hills. Shimba is basically a big rainforest with an elephant sanctuary incorporated but there was plenty of wildlife and the scenery was just beautiful - so lush and green! We all spent the night at Diani Beach and went out to Ali Barbour's Cave for dinner again which is an experience in itself! The weather was grey and overcast though so we headed home after lunch the following day.
Yesterday 12 of the New Hope lads had a day out. Myself, Teresa, Maria and Laura took them all to Makande to join in a 5-a-side football tournament organised through another project. As the boys live and learn at New Hope they very rarely get to leave an area of about 100m square, so going anywhere in the first place is a treat but to play an organised football tournament was just fantastic for them! We had 3 teams in (2 lots of 5 and then the other 2 boys joined up with 3 of the leaders) and they all played so well and the extra team actually won the tournament so they got to take home the inflatable cup which they were so chuffed about! We took them out for lunch at a cafe and they all had chips and pizzas and burgers and had the times of their lives. It was so nice for them to get out and do something as the school never has enough money to do anything with them. There has been talk of making the football a regular occurrence which would be fantastic for the boys - and I've been nominated coach while I'm here!
So after 6 weeks of being in Mombasa, I feel settled and at home, I've got a bunch of awesome people that I live with and the weather is finally starting to pick up! We're all off to the beach now as it's the first hot and dry day in about 4 weeks! Time to crack out the cooking oil - I mean sun screen!

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Photos

New Hope Utd
The boys celebrating their victory

Team Photo
The street boys prepare to kick off

Shimba Hills
My first sighting of wild elephants

Lunch Time
The kids queueing up to wash their hands for lunch at New Hope

Comments

[Jen, Gra, Jacob & Connor]

Sounds fantastic!
Ben, it sounds so brilliant and you sound really happy. Bet you're chuffed to bits about being made football coach! The children look SO happy in your pictures. The elephant sanctuary sounded really good too. I hope you got lots of pictures. Can't believe you're half way through already. Has it gone quick for you too? It'll be fantastic to have you back tho! Take care and God bless you xx

[Junior Mellersh]

Brilliant!
All this sport and football sounds amazing, it's great the kids get a chance to get out there and enjoy themselves. The pictures are really nice - they all look so happy! Do you have any pictures of yourself? Are you tanning nicely or have you burnt yet? Well I'm just about to write you an email so I won't say much here as I'll run out of things to say, but I'm glad you're settling in, it must be so much easier once you feel at home there! Love you, Katie xxxxxxxxx

[sam]

hey there
Helloo there my dear, I can hard;y believe that its six weeks since you left us! I really hope that the weather gets better for you soon though, I'm still expecting you to come back as a black man remember! Nothing much has been going on here, I have finished my first year at uni...how scary is that. I'm officially a second year, I am not liking how fast it is going! I have also started working at....the bay tree woo, so now i can get paid for spending all my time there lol. Other than that however...not a lot. Most people arn't back from uni yet so i'm home with megan and spud and rich and thats about it. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again, take care my dear I'm thinking of you love sam x x x

[nicky and central accounts]

hello!
Hello Ben, so sorry we took so long to get in touch! - we couldnt work out how to use this website! (how rubbish are we?) have also sent you a private message - i think!? Jenny has had a little girl called Katie, and both are doing very well. hope you are having an amazing time, it seems to be going so quickly would love you to come and visit us when you get back! lots of love and best wishes, central accounts x x x x x x x x x x

[Becs]

Hey you.....sorry i haven't been in contact sooner. it sounds amazing where you are.....even if it has been raining so much.....i'm rather jealous! the pictures of the kids look cute. hope you liked the note in the book.....well didn't know what to write! oh yeah.....you'll never guess who i met the other day.....the legend that is Sir Paul McCartney....can't quite believe it myself....he kissed me on the hand and curtsied to me! anyway enough about that.....hope your having an awesome time....take care buddy.....lots of love and hugs xxx

[amy]

heya! how are you doing? sounds like you are doing awesome!! the football idea sounds really good! i think you'd amke an excellent coach!! good to see you've stopped neglecting your blog!! speak to you soon love ya xxxx

[Maggie/Mum]

Hello from sunny Grove
Glad to hear the weather is picking up again, sounds like you've been having some typical English weather... perhaps more rust than sun tan?? It was really nice to see Mark's photo's of you and New Hope (from previous comments). Email on way too... love you lots, xxxxxx

[Ray and Fiona Massie]

Time flies
Halfway through already Ben how time flies . Glad to hear you are settled in so well and enjoying all the challenges youve had. We shall be in Kenya from 3rd of July ourselves until the 29th but wont be able to call in to see you as we are going from Nairobi up to the far north of the country on the left hand side of Lake Turkana. Stay safe.....God Bless Ray and Fiona

[Fiona Derrick]

Hi!
Dear Ben, I've just read your blog from start to finish, what a fantastic time you've been having. Loved the pictures. The children look so happy, and mischievous too. Is it difficult keeping them organised? Glad that the rainy season is nearly over and hope you have some good times at the beach. Still praying for you. Love Fiona and Max