Our community-based project 'Batting for Peace' aims to use cricket activities to bring youth development, social transformation and physical well-being back to the community. This sports project is a tool that allows kids and young adults to learn to get along with one another, while learning social skills, teamwork and dedication to a shared goal, in a community that is otherwise divided between ethnicity and faith.
The cricket club I run has several youth teams that do frequent training, games and official tournament matches. We aim to use the funding to provide better support to our youth through experienced coaches, good equipment and the necessary facilities to run this project for the long term. We want qualified individuals to lead our youth and teach them about a wide range of topics and skills, like leadership, problem solving and effective communication with people of different ages. We want to keep supporting this community, as we have been since 1976.
To improve our facilities and make them more accessible, there are plans in place to replace the old shipping containers we currently use for a more suitable venue where the youth can get ready for each game, have meetings in and take part of lessons like theory training. This would also give our community leaders a place to work and organise activities. Some of the funding will also go towards the maintenance of the playing grounds, which is necessary in order to safely and correctly practice the sport.