​Having heard about the Netball Development Trust through an appeal they had for used kit, I looked them up online and after reading the blogs and watching some videos I immediately contacted them for details about joining the 2017 tour to Uganda and Kenya.  I was sent information and applied to join the team. The handbook was extremely helpful and after having a meeting with Julie (-who immediately settled any worries I had), II was ready to go.
 
After meeting at the airport and undertaking a very long flight we arrived in Uganda and made the trip over to Bungoma in Kenya. I must say that the various accommodations we stayed in throughout the three weeks were a lot better than I thought they would be, with comfy beds, warm showers and electricity (-most of the time!)
 
For me one of the main highlights of the trip was meeting so many amazing people. The Kenyan team were extremely welcoming and I felt to be in safe hands the whole time. The work that they, and all those involved with NDT, are doing out there is truly inspiring and I am thrilled to have been a part of it. 

X-SUBA
In Feb 2016 we established a new partnership with X-SUBA Sport 4 Development Uganda with the aim of enhancing netball amongst communities in Jinja, Uganda.  
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X-SUBA is a non-profit community based organization based in Uganda using sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict and disease in disadvantaged communities of Jinja.  

In the last 8 months X-SUBA have done some amazing work in partnership with NDT.  They have introduced “connection netball play” which happens every Saturday and community netball on Sundays.  In these netball play sessions there has been a notable increase in the number of young people, especially girls, joining in.  This has also provided a platform for X-SUBA to reach out on their Saturday life sessions discussing sensitive issues about sexual health, HIV and self esteem. 

Kenya has come so far in just 2 years. A young enthusiastic volunteer uses grassroots netball to really make a difference to 300 school girls in Kenya. 
Early 2013 a young, shy but very enthusiastic trainee teacher in a rural school in Bungoma, Kenya got in touch with us wanting to learn more about netball.  Joseph Olita joined us on tour in Uganda that year and took what he learnt back with him to Kenya.  In the 12 months after his first exposure to coaching, Joseph trained 13 fellow volunteers as netball coaches and they collectively started netball in 5 schools in their home town. We now have over 16 schools playing, and regular training taking place across the county – Joseph has worked wonders.