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| 3 teams at once. Chief Kariuki brings out the entire Nakuru community with one message on Twitter |
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| Meeting the Chief |
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| George and Jim carry equipment for a new team |
It has been a whirlwind first week for baseball4africa here in Kenya. At
first the schools closing due to the teachers’ strike threw our baseball
teaching plans into disarray. But with some quick networking with a few
incredible friends here in kenya baseball4africa is looking stronger than ever.
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| Nice form |
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| Jack coaching the community boys |
We trained about 70 kids in the
Nairobi village of Kabete who were brought together by the volunteer manager of
a neighborhood sports program called Kabete cares and a good friend of
Baseball4Africa, George Kinuthia. George then proceeded to take three days off
to drive north with us to check in on the baseball program Jim started in
Elburgon town four years ago. It was absolutely amazing to see the kids playing
baseball as we drove up…without a coach! On the way we stopped to pick up our
local celebrity guest, Chief Kariuki. (It sounds like Chief Karaoke when
everyone says it.)
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| The King of Twitter showing us where he wants to take baseball |
Chief Kariuki has gained a lot of
fame recently for implementing twitter as part of his constituency’s security plan.
With one tweet he is able to mobilize thousands of people in the nearby
villages. We heard stories about stolen cars getting found the moment the tweet
goes out, people rushing to help break-in victims, and even a school terrorized
by killer bees descended upon by loyal twitter followers carrying blankets to
get the kids out. So the media here has nicknamed him the “King of Twitter.”
But according to George, Chief Kariuki wanted us to introduce baseball to his
school district.
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| Even the teachers participated |
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| Representing |
Over the next two days, with King
of Twitter in tow, we weaved our way to Murunyu Secondary School on the
outskirts of Nukuru town. Met there by the principal Nancy, and coach Brian,
and about 100 eager kids from 2 schools and the community we spent the day
teaching and playing baseball. George had some great hits, the kids really
caught on, and even the Twitter King had a nice line drive hit at the end. We
left a kit filled with enough equipment for two teams to play each other and
the hope that when we make it back there they will have continued their
learning with this new sport.
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| Chief Kariuki going for the strike out |
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| "Run Down" base running practice |
With the
teacher strike still on we called upon another baseball contact, George Mahinda
to meet up in Machakos city to check on a couple possibilities for baseball
teaching. The first place we went was the Machakos Teachers College, at which
the principal, Peter, turned out to be so enthusiastic that he offered the
school to not only host the national tournament this Oct 10th, but
to be the center for baseball training in all of Kenya. We agreed to train and
outfit a team at his school, bolstered by the fact that many of the students
from the original baseball schools over the years now live in Machakos and
could form a community team to play against. We were all so pleased that we
decided to call it a day but not before George M. made another phone call and
whisked us away to meet the Machakos County Commissioner of Sports, David
Musau. Afterwards I told Jack that this was unlike any other baseball4africa
season I had participated in. Usually sharing tea with the school principal or
sitting through a parents day was the big showing, now its glad handing with
the government and driving around with Chiefs. In the end it shows that
baseball is catching on and that all of Jim’s baseball4africa efforts are
really being noticed.
https://www.facebook.com/Baseball4Africa
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