Bedouin children introduced to cricket for first time

Cricket came to the Negev Desert Bedouin settlement of Hura on Tuesday when four men , armed with a plastic bat and a tennis ball wrapped in tape, dropped in at the Almadjad Junior School. The surprise visit had been co-ordinated by Hamed Abu Elkiyan, responsible for the promotion of sport in Hura, and George Sheader, the ICA's Youth Development Officer. Thirty 5th. grade pupils were invited to participate in a game totally alien to them, but within a few minutes were smacking the ball to all quarters, catching, throwing in, and generally having a fantastic time as naturally as any boy from the streets of Calcutta to the green fields of Eton.

The visit was the first step of a very ambitious project proposed by Sheader and Andy Sellins, Project Director of the London-based charity, Cricket4Change, whose aims are to tackle social issues by bringing together the youth of different ethnic/cultural backgrounds through the game of cricket. The project is being strongly supported by the Keidar Center at Kaye College, Beer Sheva, where Sheader runs Introduction to Cricket Courses for trainee-PE teachers.

Kamel Abu Elkiyam, school Headmaster, welcomed the party of four into his office and in true Bedouin custom offered his guests sweet tea and strong coffee. He still had no idea why they were there. Naor Gudker, CEO of the ICA, spoke briefly on the history of the game, while Tom Rodwell, CEO for Cricket4Change, described the type of work his charity carries out worldwide. Andy and George were itching to get out and play with the kids

After a guided tour by Kamel of the beautifilly designed, Jerusalem-stone built school, the time finally came for the kids to shine, for they were the true stars that turned this visit into a an unforgettable experience..

Sports teacher, Omar Abu Alhadja, had promised the boys and girls a treat -- so secret was it that he didnt know what it was himself. Two ruck-sacks were placed as wickets and Tom began to bowl to George. One by one, Andy introduced the kids to batting and bowling, and very soon we had a game on our hands. Everything was kept as simple as possible, however, the exuberance of Toms celebration at the fall of each wicket caused a mixed reaction among the players from mild amusement to sheer fear. A points system was improvised, and at the end of the lesson there were two Champions of the Negev -- Nadji Mahmed Abu Shuldum (10 runs) and Doaa Musa Alsayed (9 runs).

At the end of the day, all agreed that the experiment had proven a phenomenal success, and plans are now being drawn to expand the project, with ICA Chairman Stanley Perlman and board member Steven Shein meeting with Rodwell and Sellins in Tel Aviv, and a follow-up visit scheduled for March 2009.

Cricket4Change aims to use cricket to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities by bringing together young people from different ethnic backgrounds, to help them make positive choices about their lives. With over 25 years experience of working in the inner city of London, they have broadened out into using the game to help disabled young people gain confiedence and feel included as well. As leaders in the field of urban and disability cricket, Cricket4Change is increasingly asked to share its experience internationally and over the past three years they have set up cricket for the blind and visually impaired across the West Indies and in Central and East Africa (Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania). In mainstream cricket projects have been launched in, or are scheduled for, Cuba, Jamaica, Antigua, Panama, Sierre Leone and now Israel.