IN A world of G8 summits, global pop concerts and special commissions, it is impossible to avoid the issue of Africa. So how can three cricket enthusiasts be of help? Motivated by a desire to put fine words into actions Chris Kangis, a solicitor at Allen & Overy, Andrew Hobbs, an England and Wales Cricket Board development officer, and myself, a barrister, will follow one of the most famous travel routes in the world — Cairo to the Cape.

We’ve called our seven-month trip Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) and we aim to raise awareness of HIV/Aids through the medium of cricket coaching.

CWB will set off on October 14 and will travel (mostly) overland through Egypt, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Lesotho. Throughout, we will be working with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Hoosain Ayob, its Africa regional development manager, cricket associations, UNAIDS and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In each country CWB will spend a day working with local teachers, delivering the ICC “Introduction to Cricket” course which covers a basic introduction to the game but mainly focuses on becoming a coach.

Part of the day will be devoted to Aids awareness. In an informal group those with the greatest power to alter behavioural patterns, the teachers, will be able to talk about what they know about the disease, what HIV/Aids is, how it is passed on and how HIV can be treated. It is at this stage that the UNAIDS officers will become involved.

CWB will then take the newly qualified coaches to deliver day-long coaching sessions at several cricket grounds or schools. The newly qualified coaches will be “mentored” through three days, putting into practice what they have learnt on the course. The aim is for coaches to be leading the session by day three.

Finally, there will be a festival day, where each venue visited will bring teams to a central venue. Each team will be allocated a local coach to support and coach them throughout the day. At the end of the festival each child will be given a T-shirt, with a simple slogan, “Let’s help to bowl Aids out of Africa”. The festival will also provide the time for UNAIDS officers to talk to the children about the disease.

It is not just equipment that the countries need, but the ability to be able to coach and develop the game. Accordingly, CWB will leave behind not only resources such as coaching manuals and cricket equipment, but also newly qualified coaches to ensure a sustained development of the game.

By May next year we hope to have ensured that at least 1,000 children are playing cricket and 350 people are coaching cricket in places as diverse as Cairo, Kampala and the Namib Desert. This is something that has never been attempted before. The challenge is an enormous one, but the rewards are even greater.

For more information: www.cricketwithout-boundaries.com.

The author is an employment barrister at St-Philips Chambers, Birmingham

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