Sam Manning, OC, tells the story of his life changing experience volunteering for ‘Cricket Without Boundaries’ in Rwanda.

‘Cricket Without Boundaries’ works with partners around the world to grow the game of cricket, while using the sport as a platform for health education and social change. It also changes lives, mine and the children we visited. As a naïve, innocent and rather immature 18-year-old, I could not imagine how my time in Rwanda would change my perspective on life.

My first task before I could even set off to Rwanda was to raise £750 for the charity. Initially struggling to think of ways to fundraise with the pressures of A-Levels, I used my long summer to advertise myself on social media as well as setting up a car wash in the car park at the pub I work at. With the money soon raised by the beginning of September, it was onto the training weekend to meet my teammates. This weekend is invaluable to everyone as you learn how to tie in the cricket with the HIV/AIDS education that you teach whilst in the orphanages and schools.

Onto Rwanda, a beautifully stunning country with a harrowing history yet such a happy and positive community. After travelling all day Thursday and settling into our hotel in our first area, Musanze, on the Friday, the Saturday started with a trip to a local village to partake in ‘Umuganda.’ This is where, on the last Saturday of every month, the villages help a person in need. For us, helping the local community build a house for a disabled man by passing along very heavy bricks and cement made of cow dung and other sticky things from the floor… an extremely rewarding experience nonetheless!
Whilst in Musanze for the first week, we visited numerous primary and secondary schools teaching the kids their ABCTs while giving them some cricketing fun. We finished off with a festival celebrating the children’s talents. The winners, Mwiko Primary School, struck a chord with us as a team. This was due to their energetic, Mr Banning-esque teacher, their deep and adept knowledge of HIV and their ABCTs and finally their phenomenal cricketing skills with an equal 4 and 4 split of boys and girls in a team of 8. We followed this format in Muhanga and Kigali as well, so I wanted to share some quick-fire stories.

Firstly, when I talk about ABCTs, it is the learning process that the children in Africa follow in their education in order to prevent the spread of HIV.

• Abstain – from sex until you are at least 17
• Be Faithful – to one partner to prevent the spread
• Condom – always use a condom

T- Test – always get tested after having sex
T- Treatment – if you are HIV positive then seek treatment, if negative then you need to go no further
 
Now, some stories!
Firstly, after a few successful days in Musanze, disaster struck! I slipped on some wet concrete while bowling what I like to call an ‘effort ball’ at one of the coaches and rolled my ankle, sprained it and on inspection when I got home, tore a ligament in my ankle! Less than a week into the trip! The next day the local doctor put a cat on my leg that fell apart after 4 days leaving me with a stick and an ankle support for the rest of the trip.

Secondly, we visited the Sorwathe Tea Plantation. With stunning views and finding out the process if making tea and that they supply tea for Yorkshire Tea made a great day for us Brits Abroad and an extra special day for the three Sheffield United fans on the trip including me and my dad!
Thirdly, we visited a disabled orphanage in Kigali, a truly rewarding experience where I played catch with a girl who, although I was only 6 inches away, decided to throw the ball at me with the same velocity as a rocket launcher!
Finally, the Genocide museum. A harrowing experience that should be experienced if you find yourself in Rwanda just to see what the people of this beautiful country went through.
 
I would like to take this opportunity to first of all thank everyone who donated to my cause, my dad for allowing me to accompany me on a trip with him (this was his sixth!) and most importantly, the OCs for donating £500 in order to help me pay for my flights. This was a huge help and I will always be grateful to them for that money.

To finish off, I would like to unreservedly recommend doing something like this in your life. Whether you're a cricket fan, player, scorer or not, ‘Cricket Without Boundaries’ and the experience you have in Africa changing lives will change your life and I whole heartedly urge you to change your life for the better. This has certainly changed me and my outlook on life is much more mature now.
 
Change your life, make lifelong friends and brighten up 5000 African children’s lives in the space of a fortnight…