Big football tournament at New Life. When I arrive they are already playing. Six teams fighting for the cup. Each team consists of younger and older kids, boys and girls, to make it even. Sometimes it is difficult to know who is in which team when somebody drops out or decides to play even if it not his or her turn, but Rasmus and Daniel, two Danish volunteers, have it under control. I sit on the stairs to the classrooms, watching them play on the courtyard, Dominic on my lap and whoever is not playing at the moment. In the middle of one match, it starts to rain. Everybody on the stairs moves back under the roof but the players don’t mind getting wet. The match is too important. For the semi-final and the final, drums are brought out of the store room. Some start drumming, others sing and clap and dance. Even some of the players dance as they are playing. It is getting serious. Penalties to find out the champion. In the end it is between two girls. Whoever scores, wins. The goalkeeper, a boy, holds the first ball. Then it is Ruby’s turn. The goalkeeper holds the ball again - and loses it. Goal and Ruby is the champion! That was a good one. Even after the tournament, they are not tired of football. Ruby is laying on my legs now and we watch the big boys taking penalties. The sun is shining again and Ruby falls asleep. I wake her up for lunch when my legs have fallen asleep, too. After lunch, we all go to the nearby park in Efutu to play bat ball. Almost everybody joins. The kids are full of energy today, happy to have an exciting Saturday. We are going to have some exciting races as well. Isaac is running against Daniel, Frank against Rasmus. At first it seems they are not doing it after all, but too many want to see them run. Isaac and Daniel go first. Daniel is fast, but Isaac is faster. He wins. Rasmus decides not to run after all, he has a headache. Instead, three of the older boys have a race between them. I think Daniel’s pride is hurt. He wants a second race with Isaac and this time an even longer distance. Maybe he hopes to run Isaac out on the long distance, thinking he has the better condition or that Isaac will run too fast and become tired. However, he has no chance. Isaac is fast and he keeps up his pace. He is the better runner and Daniel has to give in. He doesn’t even finish the last round.
For dinner we have spaghetti. Something different than usual but the soup they cooked to go along with the noodles is as spicy as usual. Sometimes I wonder how the small ones can eat this. Then it is time for party. Daniel turns on the music and we play stop dance. Even when somebody is out, this person continues to dance. The kids like it. Bright gets my camera, bustles about the dancers and takes pictures. He looks professional with the camera around his neck. He only gives it back when he decides it is time to dance himself. “I am coming to dance.” Anthony takes over his job. I switch between watching them and dancing myself.
At eight, I leave New Life with the other volunteers. The kids asked whether we would stay overnight, but I am too tired. Some of the older boys and girls accompany us up the hill to get a car. I think they enjoyed the day and so did we.
