It's Africa Calling, Act Two

October 7, 2007

Dear Friends, its Africa calling…

Act Two

Missing all of my friends in Dallas was tolerable for me until yesterday…

Yesterday, Dallas was on my mind big time. Roland, the President of the High Court (the Chief Justice), invited us to visit his Sports Academy. Four of us went to meet with him and seven of his staff. In a room built for a few, we all huddled together surrounded by trophies, photo albums and passionate possibilities.

We met Roland and his wife, Stella, at our open house in July. Stella is a 3rd grade school teacher and a student of the Himalayan Institute’s Sacred Link Jewelry program. A delightful woman exuding warmth and inner strength from an unending smile.

After all the introductions to his staff, we settled down to listen. Slowly the stories began. To keep kids out of the court system, this husband and wife team have built the most famous sports academy in Cameroon. Rescuing talented kids from dire situations, they have 10 child athletes living with them and their 5 boys.

Concentrated attention from exuberant adults and coaches, hundreds of young people are gaining self-confidence and team building skills by leaps and bounds. Their long distance runners are tops in the nation and have taken top places in both the boy and girl divisions of marathons in Dallas. Dallas? Yes. And they are coming back to Dallas for the Dallas White Rock Marathon on December 9th, 2007 (http://www.runtherock.com/). I hope to be with them.

Funding for the Sports Academy comes from begging and blessings. Their children come from all over Cameroon. Soccer, long distance marathons and basketball are their sports. We toured the ‘gymnasium’ -- a 10 x 14 foot concrete room filled with broken equipment including a Nordic track rowing machine and a small treadmill that could not withstand 10 hours of daily use.

The Himalayan Institute Cameroon will assess ways to assist the Sports Academy with fund raising for equipment and scholarships for the children. An excellent connection is already possible thanks to Barb and Chinook at Tsada Yoga of Dallas. They introduced us to Gallo Fall of the Dallas Mavericks just 2 weeks ago. Dean Fearing and the Ritz Carlton Hotel gave us a grand meeting space and now I am meeting Kumbo kids (athletes) who are perfect for Gallo’s Basketball without Borders program. We seem to be making marriages like these everyday – hands and hopes reaching across the ocean.

Their star female athlete is an eighteen year old girl, Wirgo Immaculate Tari, who runs like the wind. You will meet her during her return to the Dallas. She won second place in the Big D Texas 43K Marathon in 2002. Since the age of 12 she earned her way through life by sewing. Last year she won races but no money. Angry and jealous, her sibling sold her sewing machines when she left town for the next race. Fearing for her safety, she now lives with Roland and Stella. She has a tailor shop in their family compound where she sews and teaches sewing to several adult women whom she employs. She runs in the morning, sews in the afternoon and goes to school at night. She hopes to quickly advance to join her peers in high school by next summer.

She is one of the 10 children living with Roland’s family. Every child has an amazing and gut-wrenching story. I am in Africa, but sometimes I feel I am in the company of angels uplifting the lost children. It gets very hard to type… very hard to type.

Love you all,


Blair