Friday, October 4th: A Sporting Exchange
How UNH is bridging the gap between the US and Malawi through inclusive sports.
Updated: 8:00 PM EDT Oct 4, 2019
TEAMWORK. ♪ [OVERLAPPING CHATTER] ERIN: YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW BY WATCHING THEM THAT THESE 17 LEADERS FROM MALAWI JUST FINISHED TRAVELING FOR TWO DAYS TO GET TO DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE. AUDREY: -- ATUPELE: I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL BUILT UP, BECAUSE IT’S AMERICA, YOU KNOW? IT’S MY FIRST EXPERIENCE HERE. IT’S REALLY NICE, IT’S A GREEN. I DIDN’T KNOW YOU GUYS HAD THIS MANY TREES. I HAVE TO SAY, IT’S EMBARRASSING TO SAY, BUT, YEAH. [LAUGHS] ERIN: IT’S ALL PART OF AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM CALLED YES MALAWI. IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EXCHANGE PROGRAM. THE GOAL -- TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND INCREASE PARTICIPATION FOR YOUTH WITH DIFFERING DISABILITIES. PROF. BARCELONA: THIS IS PART OF A LARGER INITIATIVE. IT’S A PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIANA UNIVERSITY. WE ARE A SUBAWARD OF INDIANA. THE FUNDING COMES FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE SPORT DIPLOMACY DIVISION. ERIN: THE EXCHANGE HAS THREE PARTS. THE FIRST PART INVOLVED BOB AND HIS COLLEAGUES TRAVELING TO MALAWI IN OCTOBER OF 2018 TO INTERVIEW SPORTS LEADERS IN THE COUNTRY. PROF. BARCELONA: COACHES, PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, ATHLETIC DIRECTORS. I INTERVIEWED ABOUT 70 OF THEM. WE CHOSE 17 THAT FIT THE CRITERIA OF THE GRANT, AND THEY’RE THE ONES THAT ARE HERE ON THAT EXCHANGE, SO THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP. THE SECOND PHASE IS REALLY THIS PART OF THE EXCHANGE, WHERE WE HAVE 17 MALAWIANS HERE AT UNH, ENGAGING IN THIS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES. -- SET OF ACTIVITIES. ERIN: LIKE THESE TEAM-BUILDING EXERCISES AT THE BROWNE CENTER. BEVERLY: MY NAME IS BEVERLY AND MY WORD IS POSITIVITY. >> IMAGINE, IF YOU WOULD, THAT YOUR FEET HAVE BEEN MAGNETIZED TO THE FLOOR, OR THAT THE GRAVITY ON EARTH HAS BEEN TURNED UP, SO THAT YOU CAN’T MOVE YOUR FEET AT AL ATUPELE: WE ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. WE ARE ALL DOING DIFFERENT THINGS. SPORT WISE, SPORT IS NOT THAT BIG IN MALAWI, SO IT’S NICE TO MEET OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE SAME THING. IT’S NICE TO MEET YOUR TRIBE. >> AND SWITCH. ERIN: NEXT YEAR, UNH WILL SEND 17 FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES TO MALAWI TO LEARN FROM THEM. PROF. BARCELONA: ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE REALLY KNOWN FOR IN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND ACROSS THE COLLEGE, IS INCLUSION AND INCLUDING AS MANY PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF ABILITY AND DISABILITY, AND SPORT AND RECREATION. SO FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, WE DO THIS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT INTERNATIONALLY AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH A COUNTRY LIKE MALAWI, WHO HAS THIS AS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY, WAS JUST A PERFECT FIT. ERIN: THE NAME OF THE GAME IS INCLUSION. THAT’S WHAT’S ON THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYONE’S MIND DURING THEIR TIMES TOGETHER. PROF. BARCELONA: THE FOCUS OF THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS INCLUSION ACROSS THE BOARD, AND WE DEFINE THAT REALLY BROADLY, SO IT COULD BE PHYSICALLY DISABILITY, BUT WE HAVE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE ALSO WORKING WITH YOUTH WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, WITH YOUTH AND ADULTS THAT HAVE SENSORY DISABILITY, AS WELL, VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. AND THEN WE HAVE FOLKS IN THIS GROUP AS WELL THAT ARE WORKING WITH PEOPLE WITH MENTAL CHALLENGES ATUPELE: I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT SPORT AND EDUCATION, AND I COME FROM A COUNTRY THAT’S A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY, AND WE WANT TO FIND WAYS TO INCLUDE YOUNG PEOPLE AND PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT ARE NOT ONLY INCLUSIVE BUT THEN WILL AIDE THEIR DEVELOPMENT IN SOME WAY. ERIN: JILL GRAVINK IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NORTHEAST PASSAGE, A PROGRAM AT UNH THAT WORKS TO MAKE SURE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES CAN ENJOY RECREATION. WHEN SHE HEARD ABOUT THIS EXCHANGE, SHE WAS EXCITED TO JUMP ON BOARD. JILL: ONE OF THE THINGS WE’VE TRIED TO TAKE ON IS PROVIDING TRAINING AND MOVING THE PROFESSION OF ADAPTIVE SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL FORWARD. SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS ARE HELPING US FULFILL OUR MISSION, BY COMING TO THE U.S., LEARNING WHAT WE’VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS, AND THEN TAKING THEM BACK TO MALAWI AND HELPING PEOPLE IN MALAWI, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN MALAWI BE ABLE TO ENJOY THAT SAME INCLUSION AND JOY FROM SPORT AND RECREATION. ♪ ENID: I AM THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS MALAWI. WE HAVE ABOUT 2000 ATHLETES IN MALAWI, AND WE ARE OPERATING IN 23 DISTRICTS OUT OF 28 DISTRICTS, SO WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE GETTING THERE SLOWLY I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GAINING MORE EXPERIENCE, MORE KNOWLEDGE ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE ON OUR HEALTH ACTIVITIES, ON OUR SPORTING ACTIVITIES. PROF. BARCELONA: IT’S A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP. HIGH LEVEL SPORT LEADERS IN THEIR COUNTRY ARE DOING GREAT THINGS. IT IS A CHANCE FOR US TO LEARN FROM THEM AS MUCH AS THEY’RE LEARNING FOR US. IT’S REALLY THAT TWO-WAY CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, AND THAT’S WHAT’S EXCITING FOR US. JILL: THEY ARE NOW SORT OF MESSENGERS OF NORTHEAST PASSAGE AND UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE OUT IN MALAWI AND WILL HOPEFULLY IMPROVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THERE. [APPLAUSE]
Friday, October 4th: A Sporting Exchange
How UNH is bridging the gap between the US and Malawi through inclusive sports.
Updated: 8:00 PM EDT Oct 4, 2019
Tonight, a group of sports leaders from Malawi recently spent some time at UNH as a part of a multi-year project to promote inclusion in sports and recreation around the world. Plus, "24 Hours of Lemons" is coming to town. It's an endurance race of cars that can be worth no more than $500 and they race around the same track that hosts NASCAR Races. This race isn't quite as fast but it's fun, colorful, and really competitive. On Fritz Wetherbee's New Hampshire: Binky Gets Pretty. For more information on tonight's stories:Yes-Africa Malawi : University of NHhttps://www.facebook.com/yes.malawi.unh/24 Hours of Lemonshttps://24hoursoflemons.com/Hosting this week from: The Browne CenterDurham, NH https://brownecenter.com/
Tonight, a group of sports leaders from Malawi recently spent some time at UNH as a part of a multi-year project to promote inclusion in sports and recreation around the world.
Plus, "24 Hours of Lemons" is coming to town. It's an endurance race of cars that can be worth no more than $500 and they race around the same track that hosts NASCAR Races. This race isn't quite as fast but it's fun, colorful, and really competitive.
On Fritz Wetherbee's New Hampshire: Binky Gets Pretty.
For more information on tonight's stories:
Yes-Africa Malawi : University of NH
https://www.facebook.com/yes.malawi.unh/
24 Hours of Lemons
https://24hoursoflemons.com/
Hosting this week from:
The Browne Center
Durham, NH
https://brownecenter.com/