It is one month until our Divisional Finals. The budget is approved and we make plans. I have secured sponsorship from MultiChoice for the finals. We need to organise transport to collect the teams, accommodation and food in Mzuzu, referees and umpires and a hundred other things. Letters go out to all participating schools. I get one back from the Chintheche Head complaining about everything from the thin bed sheets at the William Koye Guesthouse, the ‘junk food’ we were going to serve the teachers and the 400 kwacha allowance they would receive. He said these horrible conditions offered by Mr Bottomer were unsuitable for a P6 officer. It said it all about the allowances issue I faced. An event like this hasn’t happened for more than twenty years. I left the DEM in charge of inviting guests. The vehicles are sent all over the north to collect the teams. I’m on the Chitipa bound lorry as I just don’t believe it will happen without me. In Chitipa all teams are ready. At this point I really thought this might work. On the morning of September 25th 1999 it was about to happen.

All teams were here in Mzuzu and we were ready to get underway. We meet and the draw is made. Everyone sleeps well as tomorrow is going to be a big day. Behind the scenes I try and sort out referee issues, stadium issues, food issues and all the other issues. We have a superb day of sports. After two days of competition Phwezi Boys beat Chitipa 1-0 in the football. Phwezi Girls beat Moyale 20-16 in the netball. Fabiano, Jomo and Mrs Mosowoyo were proud of their efforts. We had done it and done it well. We had trophies, balls and the Northern Governor of the ruling UDF party as the guest of honour. That was Msiska and having to do politically the right thing to save his career probably. I had all the right people there to spread the word that school sports was alive and well in the north. I had invited the staff from the Mzuzu Multi Choice office and they were impressed. It would lead to future sponsorship. MASSA had sent Mr Saidi and Kandikole and they seemed begrudgingly impressed with our efforts. Alex Kamanga from Chitipa lifts the football trophy high. The biggest smile was from our super star netballer ‘Happiness’ Nyirenda from Moyale CDSS. The teams leave and we start planning for next year. I have a big report writing day to put a line under the past few months. I find it gives me some sense of understanding when it is all in words and pictures. Fabiano and I have a long chat. I believe he is genuine and I apologise to him as he often gets the tough words from me when things go wrong. I realise how important Fabiano has been in the past eight months. Thanks isn’t a word used very much in Malawi. I don’t need thanks just being part of this amazing journey is enough.

On Saturday 2^nd October 1999 I scored my first goal in Malawi and what a goal. We drew 4-4 with Chibavi Warriors. It was a long ball that Wes headed on to me. One bounce and I lashed it into the goal with my left foot. I celebrated all the way up the touchline. The Casanova Bar was buzzing that night. The end of the year is coming and we sit down and plan for 2000. Year one has taught us so much and I’m sure Year two will be better for it. There is one big event left this year.

At the end of November MASSA plans to hold the Coca Cola Trophy in Lilongwe. We need to select our Divisional football and netball squads. It is a late event so we haven’t budgeted for it but hope the DEM will come good. Our coach Alex Masinjala from last time won’t come this time unless he is paid proper allowances. Lots of recriminations are surfacing at the moment about schools using illegal players at our finals. I was quite disillusioned today as I sat and listened to it all. Mr. Tole the Mzuzu Secondary School head says we can have a training camp here at the school no problem. We are then called to a MASSA meeting at short notice in Liwonde ahead of the finals. It was a day of tedious boring discussions. Kalombo did say well done to the north and me indirectly for providing detailed reports to him on our activities. I believe he begrudgingly appreciates the efforts of us in the North.

The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) is organising regional trials at the moment as part of a forty five million kwacha scheme to boost the national team. It seemed like complete chaos. Malawi football needs as much ‘juju’ as it can get these days or get legend Khinna Phiri out of retirement. They should have asked the Divisional Sports Officer to help. It is time for my nine months VSO progress report and I get a visit from Jackie Buckley. I can safely say that VSO, DEM and thousands of other people are very happy with our efforts. There are no firm plans for Lilongwe but we know we have to be ready at short notice as usual.

We had selected and invited the players to the training camp. Things were about to get ugly. I found out that Fabiano had accepted the job as the new Northern Region Sports Development Officer for next year. Then he cashed the 4000 kwacha cheque to arrange food for the four day training camp. He cashed the cheque and kept the money. I found out when the people we bought the food from said they hadn’t been paid. I have a big dilemma at a very bad time. It was almost like a VSO scenario at pre departure training. I saw Fabiano and told him what I had decided. I would pay the food debts and he would repay me next month. If I spoke to the DEM he would lose his job for sure and his actions would probably derail our efforts for this year. He would lose his new job and his family would suffer from his stupid actions. I was resigned to losing him but thought he had made the decision for me. I basically covered up his actions to save all my hard work in developing the sports programme. I felt guilty but knew I had made the right decision.

We held our training camp with Fabiano on his best behaviour. Our netball coach Mr. Msukwa was great in selecting and training our girls. We still only have fourteen players in the football camp. Most of our netball team was from Phwezi Girls. Linda, Tasyiana, Alice, Happiness, Pauline, Mleza, Sella, Mary and Charity were our ‘dream team’. How they had got so good I will never know as their teacher and coach was certainly not behind the success. We travelled to Lilongwe with seventeen boys and fourteen girls. The competition is underway at the Chichiri Stadium. We beat Central East 4-1 to start our defence of the trophy. The girls lost their first game 23-21 to Central West but better things are to come. My friend Simon Legge arrives and witnesses a great day of sports. The netballers beat Shire Highlands 33-12 and then Central East 25-16 in the semi-final. The boys lose 1-0 to South East and 3-2 in the last minute to Central West and go out. In the netball final we beat Central West 22-19. It was an amazing, exciting and fully deserved victory down to the girls and coach Msukwa. Add that to my organisation and it all felt good. The North’s teams were selected fairly based on district trials and training camps. No longer was the North purely made up of Mzuzu players. People really appreciated this.

Our girls are Champions of Malawi and the boys are third this time. I dealt very calmly with all the allegations about the North. I defended many allegations about Fabiano even though I knew he had let me down lately. Maybe it is time for us to part-company. The headlines read ‘MASSA is the real deal’ as Malawi sits up and acknowledges the progress we are making in school sports. What an amazing year!! It is time to relax and look back fondly. I remain in Blantyre as the bus leaves for the north. It has been an adventure I will never forget. I can’t wait to get back to Mzuzu and continue my work in 2000. It is Christmas 1999 and soon the end of the millennium. Jenny and I travel to the Dominican Republic as I promised. I began to have doubts about us but our relationship would continue. I saw the New Year in at the Lamb and Flag with old friend Justin Aylen and a lot of Guinness. I visited my Mum and Dad and printed off two hundred certificates for the coming year. I headed back to Malawi thinking that I might well have enjoyed myself more staying in Africa.