2024 started the same as 2023 had ended. Wachisa's immediate aim for the start of the year was to get the U12 Girls project moving. He had identified four clubs that had shown interest and had sent players to his informal training sessions. Wachisa planned to visit each of the clubs in turn, hold training with the Young Coaches and encourage the girls with nice bright new training kits. Nyabinghi Warriors, Chitipa Hammers, Youngsters and Namuyemba  were identified. The longer term plan was the hold a festival after all clubs had been visited. 

These 4 girls teams were regularly training at the start of 2024. Wachisa held a Young Coaches session with the 8 coaches where the coaches held training sessions with their teams. On May 1st the Young Coaches held the 1st ever U12 girls football festival under Coach Wachisa's supervision.  With the full support of Community Sports Leaders Africa, 2024 started with a focus on U12 Girls development. Wachisa has been training with his Nyabinghi Warriors Girls for a few months now. Training kit has been a great incentive and lots of girls are attending training. Wachisa now planned to support Chitipa Hammers FC, Namuyemba FC and Youngsters FC start up their Girls U12 teams.  We will soon be ready for the 1st ever U12 Girls Festival.  

The rains officially stopped in mid April and the football began again. Wachisa started be holding a senior coaches 'refresher course' and a mini football festival to get them focused on girls football development. He then held a 2 day training course for Young Girl Coaches only. got the four U12 girls teams together for a practice which was led by the trained Young Girl Coaches. The next big event is the 1st ever U12 girls 8 a side festival on May 1st.  

2024 Kit Recycling Initiative and Fund Raising. 

April saw the kit recycling initiative start. Football kits came from all over, with Amble Welfare FC, Cramlington Utd, Edinburgh South Community FC, The English FA, Newcastle Utd Foundation, North Sunderland FC, Stobswood Welfare FC, Longhoughton Rangers FC, Washington Village FC donating. A selection of retro kits came from old friend Simon Legge. The charity bought 40 netballs and 40 footballs. We had funds to buy 8 netball hoops and pay for 8 poles to be bought in Chitipa. By late October we had 60 boxes of kit ready to go. The next page shows a selection of the donations. 

An early fund raiser made £1000 by selling 200 squares at £5 each. The summer fund raiser involved either me raising £600 or me getting to 600 runs first during the cricket season. By the time I had raised £600, I was only on 400 points, so I needed to cycle 400 kilometres. 

As I sit here in late October 2024, I am ashamed to admit that I have yet to start. 

At the end of August, Community Sports Leaders Africa sent £250 to fund a 7 day Netball Training Course. Allan Nkhonjera a locally qualified coach and Rowland Harawa, the Chitipa District Sports Officer held an initial 2 day course in each of the 4 'clusters of primary schools' with the aim of  to identifying young coaches with the potential and determination to set up an under 12 project, along the same lines as the football project. After eight days over 30 girls were identified as having potential for the next phase of the training. At this point Community Sports Leaders Africa committed to supporting the project by buying netballs to send and funding 4 sets of age appropriate netball posts. 

In 2020, 5 sets of new netball posts had been made and placed at the Malawi Broadcasting Company ground, Kawale, Isyalikira, Chitipa Model and CCAP Primary Schools. They were very welcome and well used. In August, I asked Rowland to get me some pictures of the posts still there and being used. He had to inform me that the posts at CCAP had been stolen. The others were there and being well used. He sent me pictures. The Chitipa Queens train at the MBC ground. They recently attended a competition in Mzuzu and came 4th out of 16 teams.  

I very much want this U12 netball project to work but a part of me doesn't trust Rowland to get it done. He goes very quiet after the initial training, momentum and expensive. I am hoping that netball coach Allan Nkhonjera, who I knew from my days back in 1999-2000 will keep him inspired and motivated.  

In October, Jack Mphande, the Malawi National Rugby Development Officer visited Chitipa for the third time. He spent three days with Levison Mlambya in Ibuluma. 'Changing Lives Malawi' and Sarah Black had funded his trip.  When he arrived in Chitipa Central, Community Sports Leaders Africa would pay his expenses. It was going to be a three day visit. On day one he visited Lwakwa, Chitipa Model and Katatula primary schools. On day two he visited CCAP, Chimwemwe and Nyabinghi. He helped the teachers and players prepare for the festival on day three. I had asked earlier in the year if Jack could visit again and that I had some money to support his visit. As usual I heard nothing concrete in terms of dates and budgets. I only found out that he was in the North after seeing a post of the course he was doing at the William Stewart Foundation in Ibuluma. No budget had been sent to me to give me an idea of the cost of his trip. I expected to pay his accomodation, food and transport during his 4 night stay. I asked him what the total was . He said that Rowland was in charge of course admin and he was in charge of technical. I asked him to tell me what he needed. It was 8000 MK a night accomodation, 15,000 MK a day food and 28,000 MK for fuel to get around between the schools. I sent him 110,000 MK (£55) immediately. Then he replied saying that because we had invited him as a 'partner' we would have to pay his Malawi Rugby Union Subsistence Allowances. This was news to me but I asked how much. He told me the MRU rate was 40,000 MK a night but the new government rate was 80,000 MK a night. It wasn't a good start to his visit but obviously I didn't want to upset him as he was a guest in Chitipa. After a few messages I agreed to send him another 160,000 MK (about £75) via Western Union that night which I did. I told Rowland that he needed to be better prepared, clearer and more transparent next time. 

Festival day at Chitipa Model saw six teams play. Kits were old football kits given by Wachisa and teams were given rugby balls. Rowland said teachers were unhappy that there were no refreshments but he never sent me a budget. I was again left frustrated by Rowland's lack of organisational skills.  

In November, Community Sports Leaders Africa decided to support the Chitipa Queen's netball team coached by Allan Nkhonjera. I knew Allan back in 1999 and he said it was me who had initially inspired him to take up netball coaching. He is currently the Vice President of the Malawi Netball Association of Coaches. Allan told me how he trains a squad of 30 girls three times a week and has several age groups including an U12 age group. That is the age group we are hoping to develop along the same lines as the football has developed. He raises all funds himself via asking local business and individuals to support. The Sports Office doesn't support financially or materially but just benefits from its success. He is certainly the man to develop U12 netball in Chitipa. I knew that his team were travelling to Mzuzu for the Regional Finals and I offered to pay the transport. Initially it was 40,000MK per player on the bus. He wanted to take 9 players plus himself. I sent the money via Western Union. Then he tells me he is taking a full squad of 12 players now and is hiring a mini bus. He has added the little extra. I asked if he would send me regular daily updates as the team prepares, travels and plays in Mzuzu. 

Allan was great and sent daily updates. Each of the eight districts in Northern Malawi sent a team. Chitipa were in group A and reached the semi finals by beating Kakumbi from Nkhata Bay and Karonga Sisters from Karonga. In the semi final they beat Malongo Sisters from Rumphi 45-41. In the final they lost 55-48 to Resource from Mzimba North. It was a great achievement and the girls sent a 'thank you' video. Now back in Chitipa, I challenged Allan to keep his 'dream' alive to develop U12 netball so that there would be as many Chitipa Queen's as possible in the future. He will need to be active and work with the primary schools, dedicated teachers and Young Coaches we have already trained. 

In the next shipment there will be a lot of balls, bibs, trainers and cones to support Allan's efforts in 2025. I had already bought 40 netballs. I put out a call for old bibs and trainers. I soon had 6 sets of bibs from Steph Cox at the local secondary school and over 30 pairs of really good trainers.   

On December 23rd, 73 boxes of donated kit taken to Bananabox Trust deport Shed 11 in Dundee. Next day the invoice was paid. Expected date for the next container to leave is March 2025.  

2024 ended on a high with a 3 day Young Coaches training course and an U12 '8 a side' festival. I sent £130 of the Lottie's Way grant to Wachisa via Western Union which paid for painting of the 3 sets of mini goals that Wachisa keeps, printing 35 course booklets and buying some flip charts, notebooks and pens. He also hired a photographer to get some quality pictures. I was in touch with both Wachisa and Albert Chihana. Albert was doing the admin and sent lists of particpants and which clubs had attended. Eight out of the eleven clubs attended. Two clubs, Real Stars and White Movers failed to attend. Katatula sent an apology. On day one six senior coaches turned up but two left immediately from Impala and Santos. It didn't look like a great start. By day 2 and 3 things were looking better. In the end a total of 24 Young Coaches and 8 Senior Coaches attended. There were theory and practical sessions. It was great to see Wachisa doing the course. I first met Wachisa back in 2016 when I visited Chitipa again after 15 years. In 2017 he attended the basic football coaching course that I did at Chitipa Secondary School. In 2018 I helped him organise an U12 '8 a side' festival. In 2019, when I delivered the Young Coaches Leadership Course he was there and got involved taking some of the sessions. Wachisa has delivered the course again three times since, training over 50 more Young Coaches. In 2023 he qualified as a CAF C license coach and is the FAM Chitipa District Representative. Every year I encourage him to keep training more Young Coaches and he doesn't let me down. He really is an inspiration to all the young players and coaches in Chitipa. 

On the 4th day, the Young Coaches supported by the Senior Coaches held an U12 festival. Nine teams took part, all dressed in donated kit from the past few years. All the trained coaches were given new training kit, the winning team Nakachenja were awarded a trophy and the best players given training kit and trophies. I would loved to have been there.  2024 has been a good year for Community Sports Leaders Africa. We have raised £2600 in total (£1600 from selling my £5 Squares, £400 from Gift Aid and £600 from the Lottie's Way grant). The 73 boxes of donated kit have started their journey to Chitipa and are currently in the Dundee depot of the Bananabox Trust waiting to leave around March 2025 time. In total £550 has been spent on buying 48 new footballs, 40 new netballs and 8 netball hoops. We have already held three sports training courses in 2024 (netball, rugby and football) and the remaining money will support three more in 2025.