Kevin Morley, founder of Saltergate Children’s Home in Ethiopia, provides an update following the appeal for old, unused, grown-out-of Chesterfield kit earlier this year….
Supporters came up trumps and shirts, shorts and scarves came pouring in for the children we care for in Ethiopia. Cases bulging, we have organised a few handout sessions and we had a tear or two – the food and shelter is necessary but a football shirt goes to the heart.
There’s a bit of grass near the hotel I stay in so we organised a game – CFC v the other mixed shirts that came in (Barcelona, Inter Milan etc).
Chesterfield were winning when a grumpy soldier turned up and called a halt. Don’t know why but you don’t argue with a Kalashnikov. You don’t get that in Queen’s Park! No problem – Chesterfield FC are now on the map in Addis Ababa.
And … we had been waiting in a disorderly line for petrol one day and the stranger in the car next to us let us in front. Got out and thanked Yohannes – the queue wasn’t moving much – and had a chat about football with him. Put a smile on his face when I gave him my shirt.
So, if you ever see a little Spireite in Ethiopia he or she will be one of ours and if the bloke in the traffic jam next to you starts singing ‘Zigga Zagga’, it’ll be Yohannes.
Best wishes and many thanks.
