Students set for African sports adventure

12 August 2009

BU sport students are preparing for a month-long trip to Africa, where they will use their skills to help underprivileged children.

Students and staff from sportBU are gearing up for Camp Kenya Sports Development Expedition (SDX) 2009, which kicks-off this weekend.

The month-long expedition will involve coaching sport activities to school children and staff in Kwale, Kenya as well as organising an inter-schools sports festival and district fun run.

Twenty students from BU and Universities of Southampton, Portsmouth and Surrey were selected to participate in the expedition, which is led by the sportBU team in association with Camps International, an organisation that runs volunteer programmes in East Africa and Asia.

With an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, the group will be facing the elements to help schools construct football and netball pitches whilst erecting purpose built goals and netball posts.

BU Head of Sports Development and project manager Barry Squires said: “Learning how to interact and coach the Kenyan children with the noticeable communication barrier is initially very hard for the English students, but it is a key confidence booster once the team fully immerse themselves into the local communities.

“The ability of using sport for development in providing a unique student experience and leadership tool has been sustainable for the last three years. Over this time the schools have seen great results in both improvements in attendance and usage of newly constructed facilities and equipment we donate.”

The SDX team is also supporting the Boots for Africa appeal, which collects used football boots, cleans them up and distributes them to school children.

Donations have already been received from Sport Kit Pro Soccer, a leading supplier of football equipment and Portsmouth Football Club, and the group will be taking these with them when they embark on their trip this weekend.