Kit Needed for Cricket Amongst Tigers

Published on: 18 Apr, 2012
Updated on: 18 Apr, 2012

Pachmahri is a hill station in India surrounded by jungle and a tiger reserve. There is little employment, and many of the children attending the school are from local tribal families who live in the jungle.

The children of Pachmari

Ball games, one might imagine, would not be of great concern to the inhabitants even the children but you would be wrong.

The slide with 'lethally' sharp edges at the broken end

When local not-for-profit organisation ‘Global Handprints’ visited the school in February last year, the only piece of play equipment was a slide which would be banned from any playground in this country because of the lethally sharp metal edges.

Local Councillor, Caroline Reeves, whose daughter Lottie founded Global Handprints, said, “When we arrived the children were playing football with a ball made of plastic carrier bags stuffed inside each other. We resolved to get some sports equipment out to the school.

“The first large package will go next week, consisting of full size cricket bats, a pair of cricket pads and pair of gloves, two new cricket balls, a cricket set for younger boys, a rounders set, and books, pens and crayons for all the children. Many of these things have been donated, and we have been given a special charity discount at the Office Team/Straker shop in Ward Street for the stationery items.

“We do need to add a pair of full size cricket stumps for the older children, and we would love to have donations of any other second hand sports equipment to make up another package.”

Local company Mailbox in London Road have been helpful to the Global Handprint organisers but the most expensive part of the project remains the cost of sending the equipment to the school. The package has to go by on a 12 hour train journey from Mumbai and then a two hour journey by truck up to the hill station – the same journey that the volunteers take to get to the school.

“Any contributions towards the cost of sending packages out would be very welcome,” says Caroline.

Global Handprints (www.globalhandprints.com) are also looking for volunteers of any age to go to India and Uganda. Volunteers can help with reading and English conversation, building maintenance, clearing undergrowth and creating a garden in the the school grounds, working with out-reach teams to visit the tribal families, and working in the children’s home or local hospital.