Play For Hope

The tourney @ amahoro stade was a smash success.  Hundreds came out to support the 12 teams involved, and the kids played very well on the main stage of kigali's national stadium.  Here's some of the highlight shots:

Kimisagara v. Rugunga Day 1

  Day 1 opening match boys from Samuduha march around stadium

street boys from Busanza with Rwanda star striker Jimmy Gatete (in black), and Radio10's "DJ Shaka" (back left wearing button-up) on July 15, 2009

boys from Kanombe are psyched for their match on day 1!  July 15, 2009

player from Gatenga scores against the u-20 boys from Kanombe

Coach Erasto from Kimisagara preps his team before the championship match vs Gatenga. July 16, 2009

Here is a second news story done on us in Rwanda about our tournament in the national stadium by the Rwandan New Times the largest English newspaper in Rwanda:

http://www.newtimes.co.rw/index.php?issue=13960&article=17700

The text of the article is as follows... please note that all grammar and spelling is as was printed by the newspaper.

Tuesday, 21st July 2009	E-mail article   Print article
Gatenga shine in Play for Hope tourney
BY BONNIE MUGABE
Results: U-15 Boys Kanombe 4 Samuduha 3 U-20 Boys Gatenga 1-1 Kimisagara Gatenga won 5-4 on Penalties Girls Gatenga 1-1 Kacyiru Gatenga won 4-3 on penalties GATENGA outshone their opponents to win the two-day Play for Hope tournament which climaxed on Thursday at Amahoro Stadium. The side scooped two of three accolades on offer after reigning supreme in the U-20 boys and girls category. In the U-20 boy’s category, Gatenga edged Kimisagara on spot kicks (5-4) after a one-all draw in normal time.  The team then duplicated this performance in the girl’s category after a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Kacyiru. The sides had also played out to a 1-1 draw in normal time. Else where, Kanombe wrestled Samuduha 4-3 to win the boys’ U-15 award. The tournament attracted a good crowd including Amavubi star striker Jimmy Gatete. Play for Hope is a partnership of Rwandans and Americans whose purpose is to use sports to bring holistic ministry to children and to develop sports within Rwanda.

As disturbing as this may be, if you havent looked at this blog Ryan posted I think you should.  One day I asked if the kids who come to Africa New Life's feeding program on Mondays and Thursdays for a hot meal, would be willing to show us exactly where they are coming from.  What you see on Ryan's blog is just a tiny portion of the answer.  Some may say I shouldnt have asked, I believe it is important to really understand people and their lives if you want to know them or try to help them.
http://blackstarrphotography.blogspot.com/2009/07/sniffing-glue-to-get-by.html

Many kids feared taking me to the places where they sleep during the day because many times the police chase them during the night, beat them and round them up to take them to jail for being on the streets.  If they were to reveal their hiding places to me, others may see and could tell the police.  Some kids did walk me into the middle of a field of brambled bushes where they had a rolled up piece of card board to sleep on at night.  I was covered in ouchy prickers after and so were the kids, yet they hardly seemed to notice.  One boy had made friends with a house guard who tied a tarp for him to sleep in outside the house at night.  There were several boys, some not more than 5 years old who showed me how they had made their bed in a rain gutter.  If it rains they simply shift to somewhere else.  On one end of the gutter was some cardboard for sleeping on,  the other end was used as a toilet.  At first I wondered why they would defecate literally a few feet from where they sleep, but then I realized it is because of fear of being seen by the police (these rain gutters were covered) or losing their bearings in the black of night..they cannot wander very far if they need to go.  

 I have been nursing a variety of wounds at the feeding program site.  Though I am not a nurse, I thank God that he has been using me to help many of these kids.  I could not believe the healing that I saw just a week after I began cleaning wounds.  This one little guy, Didie, had terrible wounds that were badly infected all over his legs.  They were crusted, infected, and my goodness it took me a while to even find the original cut underneath the infection and caked dirt.  This poor guy was in so much pain and he just looked sooo sad.  I started caring for their cuts because of this boy, I could not bear to not even try to help him.  I started collecting bandaids and cleaning wipes from the various guest houses here (shhhh).  The first week I came to deal with the wounds Didie's legs were basically one big bandaid with some neosporin underneath.  I was able to tend to many other kids' ailments, but mostly their external wounds.  When I returned after a weekI could hardly believe my eyes, I believe for sure the Lord has performed a miracle.  Didie showed me his legs and all I saw was a few splotches of pinker skin against his dark skin, but his wounds were completely healed.  He was smiling and giving me the thumbs up letting me know he was no longer in pain.  I tell you there is no way an anti-infection wipe, neosporin and a bandaid (which probably fell off after 1 day) healed those wounds...it had to be a power much larger.  I checked up on several of the other kids I had "band-aided" as well and they had been healed just as Didie.  At first I started treating the wounds simply because I couldnt stand not to do SOMETHING, and though I had hope that whatever I did would help, there was still the hovering thought that it may be pointless because the woulds were too deep and too infected for neosporin and bandaids especially considering the rough environment and lifestyles of these kids.  But when I saw the results after just one week I was astounded.  And with praise for God's healing power I have been able to continue nursing the kids each week and I have so enjoyed being used in this way.  Many kids have been relieved of their pains and their new found smiles make my heart leap with joy.