On 9th January 2026, TWAV Girls Netball Academy officially opened its doors — and just like that, something very special began.

Thirty young girls, from different backgrounds and different parts of Tanzania came together for the very first time with one thing in common: a shared love of netball. I’m told, those first interactions saw shy smiles but quick friendships and lots of laughter and a reminder of exactly why this academy exists. Tuesday 13th January, the girls headed off for their first full day at their new schools. Fresh uniforms, polished shoes, proud smiles and they looked so smart ! A big moment for them and one of many firsts already piling up.

Then came my own journey. I left the UK on 20th January with two suitcases: one full of personal items (importantly my clothes) and the other packed with board games, netball equipment and kit, plus bits for the girls. I arrived in Tanzania with… one suitcase and yes, you can probably guess which one made it (case not loaded onto connecting flight from Schipol Airport to Dar-Es-Salaam) Yep — no clothes, but plenty of stuff for the girls……priorities, apparently.

I went straight from the airport to the Academy and was completely overwhelmed by the welcome I received. The warmth, the excitement, the genuine joy from the girls was incredibly humbling — a moment I’ll never forget.

The board games were an instant hit. Jenga, Connect 4, Dominoes, a reaction game and cards although I should mention the girls struggled to actually get near them because the staff were hogging them and having so much fun. I’ll let that one slide… for now.

Nighttime here has been another adjustment. During the night the UK is pretty quiet but where I am in Tanzania it will quickly reset your expectations. Every night comes with a full orchestra of chirping and croaking — frogs and crickets I think performing enthusiastically until morning. Nature does not believe in an off switch.

Training has now begun, and at this early stage it’s all about keeping sessions fun, engaging, and inclusive. That includes unexpected guest appearances from both our Matron and Cook who have both joined in warm-ups and ball-handling drills, proving netball really is for everyone.

I’ve introduced the girls to a new RAMP warm-up routine as their previous warm-up mainly involved jogging while singing the most beautiful songs which is magical to hear and something everyone should witness at least once but we needed a bit more focus on activating muscles and ligaments to prepare properly for training. The RAMP method introduced movements they’d never done before, which led to some very entertaining moments — especially when attempting A-skips. Coordination? Questionable. Effort? A solid 10/10.

On Saturday 24th January as I approached the courts for training I was completely blown away by what I observed. The girls had already started the RAMP warm-up by themselves and were absolutely smashing it. After only being shown once the day before they remembered just about every element of it….. that moment said everything.

David suggested it would be a great idea for the girls to design a new finger board to sit proudly on the main road that would assist with directing visitors to the Academy. Brilliant idea except we needed paper.  Back home I’d order an Uber but here, it’s a ‘Buda Buda’ motorbike. Not knowing where to find a stationers I was assisted by Hellen one of the camp managers and the two of us hopped on and rode pillion. Slightly terrifying when I noticed the dashboard showed no mileage and the fuel gauge was on empty but somehow, we made it safely to the stationers and back.

By Saturday afternoon, tired legs were very real, so a team massage session was declared. I know I shouldn’t laugh… but the faces being pulled, the creative body positions, and the general writhing made it impossible not to. Pure comedy.

On Sunday 25th January, we introduced the ‘BEEF method’ for structured shooting technique. The girls were incredibly receptive to the change, and the improvement was immediate. Watching confidence grow shot by shot was a joy.

It’s been an amazing first week for me full of learning, laughter, sunshine and moments that remind me just how special this journey is and this is only the beginning.

Stay tuned for more stories from TWAV Girls Netball Academy —  plenty more to come.

Maggie 🏐