The C&P Community Trust looks back on the past year's sporting projects
This time last year saw the opening days of one of the world's greatest sporting events: the 2012 Olympic Games. London officially welcomed athletes from 204 different countries, including Kenya, who proudly led the field in a number of events winning 11 medals and setting a new 800m world record.
One year on, Kenyan-born Chris Froome continues to put Kenya on the world sporting stage with a magnificent win at the 100th Tour de France. He's come a long way since his childhood training in a tiny village on the outskirts of Nairobi, but the wise words of his coach - Captain of the Kenyan cycling team, David Kinjah - still ring in his ears.
In keeping with all things sporting, The Cheli & Peacock Community Trust looks back on the past year's sporting projects and the fantastic generosity of our guests who have kindly donated their time, effort and funds.
Since July 2012, the Trust has provided a total of US$1,030.07 for sporting projects alone at Esiteti Primary School (near Tortilis Camp, Amboseli), Ololomei Primary School (near Elephant Pepper Camp, Mara North Conservancy) and Ura Gate Primary School (near Elsa's Kopje, Meru). Not to mention the mass of sporting equipment and clothing, ranging from head-to-toe football kits to trainers, balls and nets.
One particular family generously donated a football pitch to the children of Esiteti Primary School and spent two days of their stay at Tortilis Camp marking out the pitch, clearing the area, constructing the goal posts and making corner flags - all of which was put to excellent use in a community football match the following day!
Another family also took a day off their safari to build a volleyball pitch (and handover an impressive array of sporting equipment) for Esiteti and promptly staged a community match which included as much volleying as it did singing, dancing and jumping: all in the true style of a traditional Maasai ceremony!
Many others have donated remarkable quantities of sports clothing and equipment, which have most certainly brightened the days of the pupils at these three remote primary schools. Hand-in-hand with the Trust's more education-, sanitation- and healthcare-based initiatives, we are working hard to markedly improve the standard of these schools.
There is, of course, plenty in store for the rest of 2013, including some 429 'Balls for Africa' arriving very shortly at all of our school projects. We will keep you updated...