UK Sport IDEALS volunteer Jordan Kenny tells us about his time in Zambia working at one of EduSport’s project sites, and draws parallels between Zambian society and our own.

“As part of Group 1 of this year’s IDEALS project run by UK Sport, I have just returned to the UK after five and a half weeks of life changing sports development work. Myself and coaching partner Laura Dormans were placed in the N’Gombe and Munali communities, co-ordinated by EduSport and Sport in Action respectively.

Our time was split between delivering PE lessons and sport-specific sessions. The only thing each day had in common was the fairly similar routine of setting out early and returning late home; everything that happened in between varied massively in what we experienced, learned, observed and discovered!

Not so different

Through our first two weeks our split site schedule meant we never saw the same thing twice – in fact the cultural discovery that I experienced may even have been as great as the sporting one! It became evident early on that Zambia faces the same issues as we do in the UK; education, health, finance, quality of life and legality. However, we struggle and deal with them in greatly different ways, and there is certainly a lot we could learn from each other.

In both communities sport is truly a tool for unity; people gather around community groups, children are drawn to PE lessons from miles around, and tournaments showcase naturally talented performers. This infrastructure is all supported by amazingly dedicated, knowledgeable and inspiring volunteers.

Through sport, each and every subgroup; age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, sexual health status and level of education are drawn together by a shared love of physical activity. Each and every participants skill level, dedication and passion is incredibly inspiring, the way they all conduct themselves and respect the environment that they compete in is second to none, and coaching is some of the best I have ever observed.

Gone…but not forgotten!

As a visitor I couldn't have asked for a more welcoming reception when i arrived, and saying goodbye to my Zambian family was one of the toughest things I have ever had to do, and this sentiment was echoed by the entire group of volunteers. The work that is done out there is long lasting, each and every person creates a legacy and not one penny that is donated to projects or appeals is misspent.

Every moment changes lives, and instils a desire to return - I know that I certainly will! Group 2 are out in Lusaka now, continuing the work that began all those years back at the start of the project, in line with the NGO’s continuing driving determination to use sport as a tool for social change. The last 5 and half week have been the very best of my life - I can’t describe why or how, but once you’ve been for yourself you’ll understand!”

Jordan Kenny