I am sure I must have said it already a thousands times, but the Mungu-Kabweza is my
favourite race! Once you have passed the second gate it is like stepping into a new world.
What I like the most is the people. A Coach from Kafue Town once told to never trust people from Kabweza: ‘they are all witches’, it is enough about 10 km to transform someone you do not know into something scary and to stay away from. Superstition, ignorance, fear are a dangerous mix and not only in Africa!
I like the people from Kabweza: the farmers left their hoes and run to the road to cheer the runners with buckets of water for them. It is really spectacular! People laugh; children, women and elderly who a moment before where on the fields (in this period in Zambia it is sowing time and all the members of the family work really hard) become wonderful fans.
We were expecting very few runners from the Shimabala team, the very young coach Winnie told me that the majority of the team would not have come to work on the fields for the maize. But very early in the morning at the gate a big group of children starts to gather: they can come to the race! It is a small victory that slowly the community is starting to understand the importance of sport and play for children.
Here are the arrivals:
JUNIOR BOY
1 Best Michelo
2 Chrispin Fumbelo
3 Joe Malambo
JUNIOR GIRL
1 Loveness Chungu
2 Mildred Kandolo
3 Catherine Mukunka
SENIOR BOY
1 Gillias Nangwala
2 Sydney Mweemba
3 Lucky kasembe
SENIOR GIRL
1 Mercy Kapempe
2 Ramona Muyoya
3 Patience Kunda
A big thank you goes to the Zambian community in Italy who is contributing to sponsor the races by buying mealie meal.
Do not miss the CHIPAPA final in 2 weeks time!