Resources For Sports

For a long time, sports have been viewed as a way to stay healthy and in shape, but their importance goes much further. Playing sports teaches important life lessons like discipline, responsibility and teamwork. In addition, it also increases blood flow to the brain, leading to increased concentration, enhanced memory and stimulated creativity.

At the end of 2021, THI created a link between Mallorca International School and NAC-Nkiri Primary School. The school partnership was aimed at generating funds and creating awareness for all. The focus was to provide Nac-Nkiri with resources for playtime and sports.

Mallorca International School put on cake sales and dress up days to raise the funds. Following numerous consultations with the teachers at NAC-Nkiri Primary, it was decided that the money should go towards netball, football and volleyball equipment. The balls and nets were purchased from Nairobi sports center to ensure they were of good quality and heavy metal rods, to ensure longevity, were bought from Maua town to be used for goal posts. Together, all the resources were transported to the school.

Though it is possible for electrical power to reach the school, the school have not yet been able to prioritise an electrical connection due to other more pressing demands on their finances. These include building permanent classrooms, buying desks and constructing toilet blocks just to mention a few. Therefore, the welding of the goalposts had to be done outside the school. A neighbouring church was kind enough to let the school use their electricity so the pupils volunteered to carry the metal rods to the church where a welder from Meru met them. With the help of the pupils once again, the goalposts were carried back to the school and erected in the school grounds.

The school has never had the need to clear more than a quarter of the designated playground and therefore part of the playground is still bushy with trees and crops. Therefore whilst the school wait for harvest, some goal posts sit amongst the shrubbery and crops. The school have begun to fell some trees and plan to re-plant in another area of the school.

The children are really happy, all smiles and joy whilst playing with the resources on the cleared parts of the playground. One thing has become apparent during project delivery, that this is not just a school project but will extend to the wider community. Existing social sports clubs now plan to hold their tournaments at Nac-Nkiri and the formation of more social clubs is expected. It is also highly probable NAC-Nkiri primary school will become the host of the sports competitions for Primary Schools in the surrounding area.