We asked a wide cross-section of Tanzanian
nationals to name a single home female athlete and drew a complete blank. With
no one to cheer for, there is no media coverage. With no media coverage, there is
no investment and no development.
Tanzania sits 46th out of 47
registered nations in world netball. Our neighbour, Uganda is 6th!
There is a massive opportunity available to turn this situation around. By
building a world class facility and connecting top professional coaches to it,
Tanzania is likely to make giant strides. Inside a single decade, we expect to
lift the senior national team into the world elite, competing at world
championships, with players on professional contracts in the best leagues. National
television will begin to follow these leagues, more investment will be made in
the sport and more girls will be able to play.
Only a small percentage of the girls from the
academy will make it as profession players but many will achieve national honours
at junior or senior level. All will receive a high-quality education, excellent
healthcare, the diet of a top athlete and language skills. They will learn
about sustainability and enter the working world as confident global citizens.
Sporting opportunities for girls in
Tanzania are extremely limited. Netball is officially played throughout the
country but there is almost no equipment in schools. The country languishes in
46th out of 47 registered nations playing the sport. Uganda, our
neighbour on the other side of Lake Victoria from Tanzania is currently 6th.
A fantastic new facility and the best
international coaches will change the landscape and A Tent With A View is the
driver towards the ambitious new goal.
SDGs
addressed:
SDG 2 – Diet, SDG 3 – Health, SDG 4 – Education, SDG 5 – Gender
Equality, SDG 8 – Economic Opportunity, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption, SDG
13 – Climate Change, SDG 14 – Life below Water, SDG 15 – Life on Land, SDG
17 – Partnerships for goals
We were thrilled when Maggie Birkinshaw, a legend of world netball and current coach of Superleague team, Leeds Rhinos, agreed to be head coach of our academy. We organised a residential training camp and tournament for her to assess the current standard of play and to plan the journey ahead. Here is a small bite of what went on.
