The kids from the suburbs of Malindi have a dream, that of being able to play football in a "serious" team, of those who give you a uniform complete with shoes and socks, as well as shirts with numbers and shorts.
Participating in tournaments where they have to give their soul, collide with people who are much older than them, like fifteen or sixteen years old, with the expression of bullies and maybe do not even go to school anymore.
But they are learning that they will go to school, otherwise the "real" team we certainly do not find it.
Coach Badili repeats it to him every day, at the training ground of the great plain of Furunzi, where the planes seem to want to comb even the hair just shaved by the barber of the twenty shillings for those who go to school. Yes, those who attend primary school assiduously begin to have some nice advantages.
Today, for example, a well-dressed and smiling mzungu has arrived, and he has brought a suit of uniforms for all juniors, the team under twelve that won the tournament last Saturday.
His name is Silvio and the friends who gave him the uniforms are part of the Polisportiva Cavazzana, in the Verona area: they are called Berto, Sandro Romagnolo and Mirko.
The jerseys are immediately worn with pride. Group photo and then the game. In the Under 12 there are also five youngsters from Real Malindi, the team of Ganda Primary School supported by malindikenya.net and its readers. But now coach Badili with us trains with the same spirit and philosophy (if you don't study you don't play) six or seven others, including two women.
This is what we decided to do for the community of the poor neighborhoods of the belt malindina, where it is easier to dream of being able to drive a boda-boda one day, be a deejay shooting music at full volume and smoking something rolled up, better if it makes you forget that there is little to eat at home and so much as not want to come back until the evening.
For one day, feeling like a footballer with a new uniform from a faraway country, being able to wear it because you went to school, is the most beautiful thing in the world.
As well as seeing the snack, milk and biscuits arrive.
Today we say thanks to Silvio and his friends from Cavazzana.
We are always waiting for the rest of you.