I began my project this last summer on July 3rd. I flew by myself from the Johannesburg airport to the Maun airport in Africa, which is located in the northern part of Botswana right below the Delta. When I landed, the only thing that I knew was that I would be sleeping in a tent the next four weeks in the middle of the Makgadkgadi Game reserve. I was unclear of whom I would be working with, what kind of exact things I would be doing, and where I would be coaching soccer. So as I got off the plane, I met the man who drove me two and a half hours to a camp called Menoakwena. This is where I was working, but not yet coaching. The only way I could have afforded to stay in Botswana for a whole month was to find a job, and in my spare time, find a way to go down to a local village. The village borders the Boteti River, and is 100 kilometers from the neariest sign of any kind of civilization. The only type of electricity in the village comes from a generator in the school which is taken out only to show the children videos of their country. The soccer field consisted of sand, cow dung, and thorns. This was not so much a problem for me because I was the only person there actually playing with shoes, but for the kids, they had to be careful as to where they would play since they had no shoes.

By the end of my project, I felt far more connected with not just the kids, but also the outside world that so few people in America have the luxury of knowing about. I know for sure that the kids had a much better sense of teamwork not only on the field, but off of the field as well. They inspired me to appreciate all the opportunity I have had up to this point in my life.

During my senior year, I hope to send back soccer equipment so they can have a much safer and enjoyable time on the field. If you would like to help out in any way, my phone number is (707) 322-7357 and my email address is christiano732@yahoo.com. Any type of donation will go a long way.

Donations can also be dropped off at Cardinal Newman High School addressed with my name.