Lest we forget

In October 2013, Kent County Cricket Club announced a new and slightly unusual partnership with Kent Cricket Club in Sierra Leone (see my post of 30 Oct 2013). Emmanuel Pessima has been using cricket activities to help young people cope with the trauma of a war-torn environment, to help them have hope and to experience some happiness. He named his club Kent Cricket Club Sierra Leone and we in Kent sent kit and maintain contact. Emmanuel has served youngsters impressively.

Click here to view a video of Emmanuel talking about the club’s activities before Ebola.

One year on, and those same youngsters now face the great threat of Ebola. All sport has been banned as the virus can be passed on through sweat. Cricket has been stopped, the Cricket Club has not been able to continue its community activities and has been banned from international tournaments it wanted to attend.

Emmanuel is keen that we understand what is going on in Sierra Leone at the moment and how, in the face of some extraordinary challenges, the Cricket Club has redefined its purpose to act as a vehicle for education about the threat that Ebola represents.  It reminds us of the power of sport in communities and the value that it can have in helping pull people together.

We in Kent Cricket continue to be proud of our association with Kent Cricket Club Sierra Leone and will look for ways in which we can help them in their current situation.  In the meantime Jamie Clifford,. CEO at Kent Cricket,  has written to David Cameron to highlight Emmanuel’s work and to encourage the British Government to increase further the already significant support being provided to fight Ebola in Sierra Leone.

I have asked Emmanuel to let me know if there are specific resources that would help him and he is putting some proposals together. I’ll make you aware when I receive those in case you have access to any help.