I feel useful again, all thanks to village football for children

I would be lying to say I am happy. Many people think it must be fun to just sit around doing nothing and still earn a salary every month.

But only those who have no good understanding of the teaching profession, those who do not know that we earn peanuts, those who do not understand the problems that children give us, those who know nothing about staffroom tea, lunch, stories, rumours, and the quarrels we normally have with our head master.

This is what keeps us sane and helps us forget about our low pay and misery.

All these have been missing for five months now, and counting.

 I have been starkly reminded several times that I thrive in a school environment. A good example was a few weeks ago at Hitler’s.  I was trying to make a point when Rasto shouted: “Dre, you can’t speak to us like that, these are not the children you are used to instructing. Reason with us, do not order us.” That is the time I missed dealing with children. Other people’s children.

Returning home late

So when the assistant chief called me two weeks ago, and asked for my assistance on something, I quickly jumped on to it. School children (both primary and secondary) had started congregating at a field near Mwisho wa Lami market to play soccer.

Soon, other children from other villagers started joining.

As you would expect, parents started complaining that their children were returning home late, that they were not sure what else they were doing other than playing football.

“I need your help on the best way to make these children stop playing without using force,” he said. “My attempts have failed. Many arrive home late at night, which is risky.”

I told him I could help, but not in the way he thought. The next day, I camouflaged myself and went to watch the children play.

I was impressed with what I saw —the passion in their eyes, the unspent energy in their bodies, and raw talent. What the children needed was organisation, not admonishment; support, not to be dispersed.

I went to school the next day, picked two balls, two nets and a whistle. When they arrived, I organised them into two teams, I being the referee. More children kept arriving and formed two other teams that also played against each other.

I do not know whether the children had been arriving home late,, but I what I saw on the pitch were disciplined, respectful children, who played to the whistle, aggressively but fairly. I was impressed.  Since I wanted them to leave early and get home in time, I addressed them at 5.30pm.

Great footballers

“Please clap for yourselves for being great footballers,” I started and gave them some basic football tips.

As I walked back home that day, I felt contented — I felt at home being with the children

The next day, we did almost the same thing although in a more organised manner. “From tomorrow, I want us to start competing more seriously.”

“I want us to form four teams, two for girls and two for boys,” I said before dismissing them.

The next day,  I arrived even earlier wearing my green Kilimabogo TTC track suit, red and white Reebok sport shoes, stylish yellow socks, and a whistle around my neck. I had made a main pitch with goal posts complete with nets, and a small one with makeshift goal sticks.

We jogged and stretched before the game started.  The field was full of spectators, both young and old.

After the stretches, we agreed to have the girls play competitively on the main pitch while the boys practised at the smaller pitch, with both exchanging afterwards. We did that for the next few days, and I could at times mix the teams, or have girls play against the boys.

We started planning for two great matches. “But first I want you to get names for your teams,” I told them on Thursday before we started training.

Deep State Wolves

The boys’ teams christened themselves Tangatanga FC and Deep State Wolves, while the girls went by TikTok FC and Infinix Eagles.

Wherever you are, you are welcome to New Trafford Stadium, Mwisho wa Lami, to watch the teams compete.

If you can bring us masks, sanitisers, soap or any other PPEs, we will be very happy since a majority of people here don’t have the protective gear.

Equally for the teams, we will be happy to receive donations of uniforms, nets, balls or any other soccer paraphernalia. Currently, I ask them to wear t-shirts of the same colour to be able to differentiate the teams. We also need trophies and prizes for winners.

 You can email me on the below address if you want to offer any help.

More importantly, thanks to the village football, I am now feeling useful to the country. You will agree that I need to be paid a little more than the other teachers who are doing nothing!

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