Hello from Daraja…again! The past few days have been great! I finished the soccer (football) classes which were extremely successful. The girls were into every game and put in more effort than I see in the states. I have still not gotten used to the time difference and waking up at 2:30am or 4:30am is not the best for energy, but the sounds outside are unlike anywhere else. We have had some rain, but far form the amount we need. The river rose only a little after about 1 hour of heavy rain over three days. The food has only gotten better and Ruth, the cook, continues to shock me with the numerous ways she cooks maze, rice, beans, and vegetables. The children of the staff are so, so cute. They loved it when I kicked the soccer ball straight up into the air.
I could not have imagined the soccer classes going any better. The first day, the girls worked on passing, which after practice over the four days, the girls only used the inside of their foot, not their toe. The second day went just as well, except the second class was cut short by the rain (not a bad thing, great in fact!). Each day before I was on the field, the girls would already be juggling and trying to beat their record from the previous day – passion you cannot teach.
We have really practiced dribbling, only a few of the girls really knew how to dribble, a vital technique in soccer. However, once I showed them some moves and how to use all parts of their foot, they became naturals. I also taught them soccer tennis (tennis on a volleyball