I had left Wachisa and Rowland with ‘welding’ issues. Wachisa needed to get the four sets of football goals finished and Rowland the bigger task of fixing the cricket cage. Within a couple of weeks the pictures arrived. I could now report back to The Friends of Malawi Association.

I was getting a bit of supply work and even enjoying it. It gave me time to report on the trip and set about fund raising for next year. The Alnwick Lions told me that their support would finish but their support had really got me started over the past three years. I would have to look elsewhere.

Wachisa and the Youth Coaches had their review meeting and set about planning the first U12 mini festival. The day the pictures came I was really happy. Wachisa sounded so proud that they had held a festival without my support. The girl’s football training was also going well. The dates on the pictures were great evidence that things were happening. They had planned a festival every two weeks and training every week.

When I got back I was in contact with Vivek Ganesan from the MCU. I told him the side of the story that Rowland and the teachers had told me. Vivek said he had never received any reports or financial breakdowns. That news just left me confused and Rowland never really answered my questions. A few weeks after I got back the MCU sent two coaches to Chitipa. Rowland was asked to organise some kind of cricket festival. The coaches were impressed and explained all the reporting procedures once again. Vivek told me that the MCU had some matting ready to send to Chitipa for the cricket cage. If the Chitipa teachers really get organised and report properly they will get more help. I was left thinking how they had managed to waste 2019 in terms of more development.

It was great to get to get evidence that things were happening. Wachisa is great at keeping in touch but Rowland not so.