By Rachel Ivey:
This month was pretty busy for us at the Swaziland Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. Thankfully, we had Megan, a former Australian Olympic Committee employee, volunteering in the office for 3 weeks to help us out.
These are the main things that we have been working on.
Sport Values 4 Life Festival
The SV4L Festival planning process has been ongoing since I arrived here. If you remember from one of my first posts, it was originally supposed to be on February 4th. After weeks of logistical changes, we have set the date for next Tuesday, March 8th. All of the merchandise (t-shirts, pencil cases, hats, rulers, bracelets, and medals) has arrived and we are just about ready for the festival.
Sport Values 4 Life: Leaders In Training Program
The next big project that we are preparing for is the week-long Sport Values 4 Life training program. I will be spending March 15-19th at Esibayeni Lodge with gym teachers and young sports leaders running workshops on the importance of good values and the fundamental movement skills. This past month, I have been working on contacting potential participants and finalizing the manual for the program.
Olympafrica Revitalization
I finally began working on my major project of revamping the Olympafrica Sports Development Centre (OAC). They’ve been having issues with low participation numbers, low volunteer commitment, and a lack of programs. Megan and I spent some time with the OAC management team creating a weekly program timetable and a volunteer incentive program.
Megan’s lunchtime nap at the OAC, safety first.
Social Media Plan
As we get closer and closer to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, we have started promoting Swaziland’s top high-performance athletes. We are doing our best to create an Olympic buzz throughout the nation. Like our Facebook page to see the updates!
Hiking Up Sibebe
This past Friday, Megan, some of the OAC staff and volunteers, and I went for a morning hike at Sibebe Rock. The views from the top were amazing (as expected)! The top of the mountain is so cool: there are forests, caves, and ponds as you hike around.
Our hiking group.
Crazy view.
Megan and Me
Random caves and forests at the top of the mountain.
This country is so beautiful, I hope that I get the chance to travel around a bit before I leave.
Rachel