We were first introduced to the area of Esso a mile outside of Arusha Tanzania four years ago when Fr Mike O'Sullivan tracked us down in Nairobi. He had a vision to build a large sports and conference centre that would serve the whole community of 70,000 in this poor, sprawling parish. When we first saw the area earmarked for the building, it was mere scrubland beside the focal point of the community; A beautiful, small wooden church.

With the invaluable help of Irish Volunteers and the sheer determination and belief that is so inherent in Fr Mike, we were able to build a beautiful centre that not only accommodates all the youth in various sports activities from dawn to dusk but can also be rented out for business conferences because it  can hold up to1500 people. This, in turn, creates income for the people of Esso. There is now a small kitchen in place that enables the women of the parish to cater for the conferences, generating even more local income.

The Resource Centre is now complete and sits beside the Sports/Conference hall and is a sight to behold. We, at Playing for Life, are proud that we were able to help towards the building of this training centre and it is so heartening and wonderful to see the skills being taught there.

With computers donated by Waterford IT, pupils are getting to learn the skills required for successfully operating computers at a high level and english is also being taught to a government approved standard, together with Human Rights seminars, Small Business Training and Loans, counselling and support services - these make up a wide ranging education and vocational training programme which is open to all members of the community. The building also provides meeting places for the parish HIV support group, various committees, mother and child groups and a kindergarten as well as space for groups setting up small business enterprises.

We face many challenges in trying to provide such a programme on a consistent basis. We rely greatly on volunteers, both local and expatriate, to enable us deliver the above services, courses and training and to develop it to self sufficiency in the future is our aim.

We, at Playing for Life, are so happy to be involved with the people and the work taking place in Esso and this year we, once again, hope to bring a group back there to roll out more introductory workshops in skills such as Jam making, I.T., English teaching, Music and Drama enthusiasts and energetic sports people for the Health awareness programme.

Its hard to describe the experience in mere words, all I can say is that one comes away with an unique insight into life in an extremely poor and impoverished part of Africa. You feel humbled by the joy, humour and dignity that greet you every day and the genuine desire inherent in these people to make a better life for themselves.

They don't want hand outs, just a hand up to get started and move forward.

I urge you to visit and see for yourself; I know it is a cliché but it will change your life.

Tracy