UMass Amherst Alumni Association
News
One Child at a Time
Kalekeni Banda ’75, or Coach Banda as he prefers to be called, is crossing continents to help a country one child at a time. He is the founder/president of the Banda Bola Sports Foundation - Chituka Village Project, a non-profit charity that promotes education, health and welfare through sports activities for the children of Chituka, a farming village in the African country of Malawi.
Coach Banda was born in Malawi and lived in Chituka Village until the age of fourteen. “I had such a passion for school as a young boy because in addition to learning, the teachers coordinated soccer and track and field events. So going to school meant that I was able to play sports and games at the end of the day and that was very motivating.” he recalled. “But in today’s world, Africa has been hit hard by AIDS and Malaria. Most of the people my age are deceased and there are many orphans. Right now, the children are not dancing, they are not playing games, and the soccer fields are empty. I’m trying to bring some of what I experienced as a child back to Chituka… my vision is to have kids be kids, even during these hard times.”
Coach Banda is leading a grassroots effort to coordinate after-school programs for grades 1 through 8 that will encourage children to stay in school and grow in a happy and healthy environment. Education is not mandated in Malawi, and while middle schools exist, many schools lack basic supplies. “I spent two months in Chituka meeting with village leaders and teachers to figure out how to make an after school program work,” he said. “First and foremost I want to be sure that each child has a pencil and pad of paper to do their schoolwork; then I can support their education and well-being through sports.”
A sense of service has always been a part of Coach Banda’s life. He was awarded a government scholarship to attend UMass Amherst in 1971. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree in physical education, he returned to his native Malawi to serve in a government position as Sports Officer for three years.
In the 1980s, he returned to UMass Amherst to coach the women’s soccer team, leading the Minutewomen to six consecutive NCAA appearances, including five trips to the final four. In 1987, the team played in the National Championship losing 1-0 to the University of North Carolina. He went on to coach at Amherst College, the University of Wisconsin in Madison and the University at Albany-SUNY. Coach Banda has twice been awarded the NSCAA National Coach of the Year award and received the New England Intercollegiate Soccer League Coach of the Year and the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association Coach of the Year award. In 1999, he was inducted into the UMass Sports Hall of Fame.
To meet his charitable goals, Coach Banda is collecting donations of school and health supplies, as well as new and used sports equipment to bring to Chituka. He is also raising awareness and funds through soccer clinics around the country where he shares a training method he developed called Banda Bola Soccer – Dancing with the Ball. “It’s a unique way of blending the game with an understanding of the natural movement and rhythm of the body. When you put music on and start moving with the ball, kids and grown-ups alike naturally want to have fun with it,” he said, “and they learn a little bit about the African art of soccer and the Chituka Village Project.”
Coach Banda is gearing up to return to Malawi this fall to deliver supplies and continue organizing the program. “When you look at the face of a child with a ball in their hands who has never had an opportunity to play… for me its priceless. It’s what keeps me coming back.” For more information on the Chituka Village Project visit www.bandabola-soccer.com or contact Coach Banda at Chitukavp@yahoo.com.
By Elena Lamontagne
6/1/09
