2000 has been an amazing year full of great events and experiences. The constant problems I have faced and overcome just make the story even better.

I’m leaving in a month. We still haven’t finalised my replacement. On my return to work I have a few problems to deal with but nothing I can’t handle after two years of doing it. On my advice we call Joseph Munthali to Mzuzu to discuss the possibility of him leaving Mzimba SS to take over my job on a trial basis. He really is the only man I trust at this point to continue our work in an impartial and thoughtful manner. He agrees and is soon in Mzuzu. I have a week or two to show him around the office. He has spent a lot of time with me over the past year and I’m confident he can do a good job. He has the respect of the other divisional committee members and we are sure they will support him. The man in the colourful tracksuit will take over.

There is still time for one final sports event as we take two teams of primary school girls from Nkhata Bay and Mzuzu to Lilongwe for the finale of the FA course solely for girls. VSO were represented as well as my last chance to say goodbye to Mr Bester Kalombo. It was a great trip and one last chance to sit in the back of a truck with loads of singing children eating road side chips, even in the rain. As most of the last two years had gone, both the teams from the north got to the final. The day I arrived in Mzuzu two years ago I was told all the great sports people come from the north. Maybe in a small way we had helped continue this tradition. I have always found that a marginalised part of a country always fights harder to achieve success usually against the system. The teachers and the children from Northern Malawi had certainly done this. I was so proud of all of them.

I spend my last week staying out of trouble and saying my goodbyes. I have met so many great characters and hope I have left something with all of them. As I leave a story appears in the paper written by Amos Kazonde. ‘VSO registers huge success’ was the headline. It went on to list my achievements and he called me ‘Tireless Bottomer’ as I strove to rejuvenate and develop school sports in the North. The last words in my diary read ‘It has been an amazing two years. I’m very proud, inspired, tired, a bit depressed but hopeful for the future. Thank you Malawi for the experience and I hope I have given as much as I’ve received’.