By Alexander Longwell:
Sawubona!!
Hard to believe it’s March already! Only 5 more weeks left with SOCGA and I can tell it’s going to fly by like every other week has!
It took a few weeks but I was finally given my Swazi name by the volunteers at the OAC. I am now called Themba (pronounced TEHMBaa) which in English means trust. I thought this was a kind gesture, and the rest of the SOCGA staff all seem to agree. The name has caught on, especially at the schools I visit, the only issue is I am still learning to respond to it, which has left many repeatedly calling me..
A lot has happened since I last posted.
Two weekends ago we held the Sport Capacity Building Workshop which was co-hosted by SOCGA and the Swaziland National Sport and Recreation Council (SNSRC). It was long hot weekend but it brought 54 Secretary Generals’ and Treasurers from many national sport associations in Swaziland. The workshop covered policies, 
procedures and programmes for the 2017-2020 quadrennial. With the workshop taking place over the weekend we were given the Monday as a day off, which I used to sleep and re-coup after a 7 day work week.
On Wednesday March 1st Dalton Dlamini, Bandile Dlamini, two other volunteers and I travelled to Ekuthuleni Primary School for a training session in preparation of the upcoming Taiwan Games. This was the first of 9 schools and we will continue to visit every Wednesday and Friday until March 29th as part of the first leg. The second leg of visits will start at the end of May and lead up to the games themselves During 
this event we had close to 400 students between 6 and 18 years old take part in learning the games that will be played at the Taiwan Games in July. Each of us took a sport and taught the students how to play. I was in charge of Frontball, which is a new sport to me but simple enough to play. The game is similar to squash except you use a softer ball and you hit the ball with your hand instead. The whole day was one of the best day’s I have spent here, getting to see the excitement in the kids’ faces and how much fun they were having is something I will never forget.
I also travel to Siteki to meet with the School for the Deaf in regards to their participation on the Queen’s Baton Relay. It was a long hot drive but it was a great day, and both SOCGA and the School for the Deaf are excited for their participation.
This week my main focus was putting together a toolkit to send out to schools around Swaziland for Commonwealth Day next Monday. I have also been in charge of determining what we are doing, and have been working with Dalton our plans for next Monday.
That’s all for now!
Until next time.
Alexander Longwell