Today started out no different than any other day really...... good night sleep, shower, eggs and coffee for breakfast, but that was when normal ended and extraordinary started.Today Gulu PTC Primary School was hosting the first Fields of Dreams Uganda soccer tournament in northern Uganda for our 5 partner schools. We headed out from our hotel to arrive on a street gathered with players lined up in parade formation decked out in their uniforms. There were children in Acholi traditional dance attire at the front. The parade went about half a mile to the field with children singing and dancing the whole way.
Now, a tournament like this one doesn't just happen for children here. Soccer is the sport here; it is everything to a child who is into sport. But the reality is that these children never play with cleats (usually barefoot), never have uniforms, never have a real goal with a net, never have a lined field with referees, and never compete as a team with their classmates. The children here had all this today, and it was extraordinary for them.
While watching a whole day of matches, it was obvious that the boys and girls were giving their all. The school and community support was present and excitement was everywhere. At the end of the day, as the rain began to fall, the award ceremony started while night began to set in. It is difficult to describe the joy of the winning teams as they celebrated victories for their schools. They sang and danced in the pouring rain without a care in the world, it was beautiful to watch. This was not just another win on a traveling team tournament weekend in Anytown USA, this was extraordinary. And the only thing better than that is that this doesn’t end here, this is just the beginning of these experiences.
I am so proud to come to know our staff here in Uganda. Jonathon, Dennis, Peter, Faridah, David, Florence, Walter, and Massey, they are my champions today, they made today happen, they are the ones changing the future of Uganda, they are extraordinary.
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