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My African experience

Lucy Mills writes

There are so many life-changing experiences available that I had great fun researching options for my gap year (many students in the UK take a year’s break between finishing university and starting work. They often travel abroad during this ‘gap year’). Having always played sports, and especially football, I thought teaching children to play football in Ghana (organized by Gap Sports Abroad) sounded different and amazing.

Initially I thought that a girl football coach might not be respected, but as soon as I got to Ghana I realized that I was wrong. I worked with the Young Schweppes Football Club in Nungua, a poor area in the city of Accra. I coached under-12, under-14 and under-17 boys from poor rural families. The training pitch was a dusty patch of land, and taxis and goats used to cross the pitch during matches! Many of the boys played in bare feet and without T-shirts, but their passion for the game was amazing. For thousands of Ghanaian children football is their life, a possible escape from poverty.

The weather was boiling so I coached early in the morning and in the evening to avoid the midday sun, but after a while, I didn’t mind the heat any more. During the day, I went home to snooze, sunbathe, or read on the balcony, or I looked round markets or went to the beach.

I loved Ghana because of its hidden beauty, and the warmth and friendliness of the people. Being a volunteer is sometimes really hard because you get the feeling that what you are doing is not enough, but it is very rewarding both for yourself and for the children you meet.

Mark the sentence:  A – true, B – false, C – doesn’t say: