It is wonderful to see Polybat being played in Ethiopia. This girl had severe movement difficulties before CF-AI and the coordinators arrived. Now she’s making a rally in Polybat!!

Alemayeu has done it again and made a super net. Next pictures should be of young people using it!!

One of the deep thinkers at the Youth Sport Trust challenged me to explain how PE and Sport is used in Africa. I immediately thought of Reg Revans and Action Learning, and how this question was an example of the deeper insight that Revans craved … An adapted quote from Revans reads

“Questioning is likely to be limited to the level of the task rather than encompassing a deeper examination of the issues and challenges involved”

I have been lucky enough to work with Musheke Kakuwa of the University of Zambia who collected traditional games. Many of these games relate back to hunting and physical activities, and thus the preservation of tradition. In the West I think our tradition is with the games themselves rather than how the physical skills relate to a deeper social and cultural heritage, and therefore the meaning of these activities in Africa is probably deeper.

It is also easy to say that many Africans are more physical than we are, I see Africans walking and cycling through absolute enjoyment as well as necessity, and I think the expression of this physicality through games is a natural progression. I join a senior aerobics class three times a week at 5:30am and see the absolute love of movement expressed both vocally and with grins of pleasure

The work I am witnessing here in Bahir Dar also demonstrates the power of sport for community integration. Sporting events are being used to bring Kebeles, City and Region together, both politically through engaging different government departments in common work, and at the local society level by making people aware of each other.

So …very similar to the West …but physicality is deeply embedded here … And I think in that way they are further ahead of us … We have a lot to learn from Africa

Picture: Mandondo Manshika … Played with corn husks

I’ve just seen a wheelchair basketball and volleyball session. The wheelchair users have dual purpose machines provided by “Motivation”. The hand propulsion part comes off the chair to reveal a more mobile chair beneath. So … Players warm up by getting themselves to the venue and then use the same chair to play.

Embatale, the girl in the chair spoke of the increase self-confidence she has experienced through the activities provided by CF-AI and how it has really helped her feel a valued member of the community.

Many Special Needs teachers in the UK would welcome the input from CF-AI I saw this morning. From 9-10:30 Teachers integrated with the Coordinators to deliver a super PE lesson, full of learning and meaningful social interaction.

Then at 10:30 the non-disabled children joined in a fully integrated break time of activities … All wonderful!
Pictured is Anton with his teacher Yenewerke, she described how much Anton’s communication has improved with the work of the coordinators.

I’ve never been a fan of reporting. Trying to express often emotional and insightful work in short sentences and figures, but the interaction between the Cheshire Foundation here and International Inspiration (IN) has helped change my mind!!

The initial report from here has been carefully scrutinised by IN and helpful comments have led to a much better revised report and also more importantly, real understanding between the UK and Ethiopia. Perhaps if Putin, Bush and Cameron went through a similar process the world would be a much better place!!

Lots of love

The picture shows Netanese and the Community Rehabilitation Officer (CRO) from her Kebele. The CRO knew of a woman in the kebele who was lying in bed all day. Netanese worked with her doing simple mobility exercises and now she is moving and able to get out of bed.

Alemeyou worked hard yesterday and finished the main structure of the sitting volleyball net. It looks both beautiful and practical!!

He is now using the rope he uses to make the backs of the hand cycles to make the net … this will be the longest part I think.
Cost so far 500 birr … That’s just under £15 … They are about £75 in the UK!!

I visited the kebele of the Head Coordinator Tilahun today. I asked about some equipment, and he said it had been donated by parents. The children pay 1birr (4p) a week. It doesn’t sound much does it, but there are 30 young people, that’s £1:20 a week and for 50 weeks that’s £60 … A lot of money here and enough to keep the team in balls and cones etc.

It’s amazing how making even a small contribution adds to sustainability … and of course collecting money from parents gives them a sense of shared responsibility and a stake in the club.

One of the major drivers for International Inspiration is helping projects move towards self-sufficiency and sustainability. One of the big issues with this is the provision of equipment.

The photos show the Cheshire Foundation Action for Inclusion  (CF-AI) staff in Bahir Dar experimenting with a net for seated volleyball. The first image shows the zsig net example brought out from the UK, the next shows the CF-AI mechanic and Mohammed Hassen Ahmed the project director discussing how to make something portable and similar in Ethiopia. The last picture shows the CF-AI workshop where hand propelled tricycles are made with the emerging prototypes in round and square section steel … Watch this space for the emerging net!!

This kind of design leads to really useful discussions as to how the equipment can and should be used and how it can best serve differentiation for disabled and non-disabled users.

Lots of love

More progress on the seated volleyball net!!

Alemayeu the mechanic here is making good progress with the net. We now have thumb screws to hold the pieces of metal, so it will be completely collapsible. Working with Alemayeu is like working with the genius of the best designer/maker Leonardo Da Vinci.