SPORTS WEEK

This is a very special time of year to be in Kibi, Ghana. All the schools in Kibi get together once a year for a week long sports tournament. They have Football (Soccer), Net ball, Running, and Volleyball. The Friday before the week starts the kids all get in huge long lines and have weigh ins. They each are weighed to see if they are between 50-54.5kg. They must be in this scale or they are not allowed to play. The week is full of loud music, dancing, lots of food vendors, and kids who can't get enough sports! We sat in the hot hot sun from 7am-5pm every day to watch! I felt like I was back home at soccer tournaments and I grew a greater appreciation for my mother who spent year after year watching all of us every Saturday. The deaf are looked down upon in Ghana and this is where I saw it first hand. The deaf were last every day.. The hearing kids make fun of them and the refs are biased. A lot of the hearing teams cheated as well and got students from the High School to come play on their team. It's sad the extent they go to to win, however, they never do! DEAF ALWAYS WINS! KibiDeafs older boys soccer team won the entire week! They won the "cup" in the end and we were all SO proud of them! It was so much fun to celebrate with them and see their hard work turn into an accomplishment. They are the sweetest kids and deserve that trophy! They practice so much and so hard, I love watching them. They are each so talented.