Kickin' it with the kids

Apart from our actual physical relief work, another very important part of our time here is interacting with the kids, whether that be informally as we walk through the village, or through various activities we implement.

Football in the park, with the football goals the volunteers have constructed for the kids...





Volleyball too...



...and perhaps a little cricket on the beach...



...though those from Israel may be a little less adept than the locals.





We seem to generate quite a crowd when one of the international volunteers heads down for a spot of evening sporting activity, which is a good thing. Not so great, though, is the seeming lack of enthusiasm for the local youth to organise and/or participate in things without the help of the volunteers. We go down a bit later every evening, hoping that they have started playing themselves and aren't just waiting for us to arrive before they start. I even held a meeting with one of the local "sporting clubs" (a group of kids and youth from 12 to early 20s, with one member nominated as "president" of the club), and asked them exactly what they wanted with regards to the sports they wanted to play during the week, arranging for one of their members to come and sign the equipment out from the YMCA...etc. We worked out a weekly calander of sporting activities, one which they chose, and yet still, if we do not show up it doesn't really seem to happen. As they say, you can lead a horse to water...

Anyway, am going to try to get the local YMCA youth volunteers involved, and see if they can keep the sports program running. They do have to prepare for life after the international volunteers...