| Front Page |
Dear All,
Just to report that everything went fine. We arrived perfectly to
Madrid after a long but safe flight. No problem at all with the
European immigration point at Schipol, Amsterdam, even real curiosity
from the police officers and jokes on their stage at Real Madrid ¿why
not with Ajax .., they said, as far as the kids have been constantly
showing their football skills even at the corridors of the airport,
with the football they are carrying on. Some of you may remember the
press conference on Friday 16th. in Nairobi...
Yusuf, Abdi, Nune and Mohamed/Shactirole, are totally excited. We
have been received by a delegate from Real Madrid at Barajas Airport
at 10,00 am.
We have proceeded to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in La Castellana
Avenue, and they have had also the opportunity to discover the centre
of the capital city of Spain.
The Summer Camp is at the Alfonso X El Sabio University in
Villanueva de La Cañada, close to El Escorial.
They have been interacting quickly and perfectly with the rest of
the Spanish and elsewhere kids at the campus. And just after lunch,
they have been starting to play football with the rest of the kids.
Be totally sure that their football skill level, as showed is
simply outstanding (congratulations for the selection committees) and
they are also outstandingly representing their country.
So they are well placed. They have also a monitor in charge at the
campus called Alberto, like me, available 24 hours. And also they
will be able to call two or three times to home country from Madrid.
Tomorrow I have a meeting scheduled with the Director of the Real
Madrid Foundation and will liaise with the rest of the contacts
provided by UNPOS, as the UNICEF National Committee and the UNDP
delegate to coordinate the PI activities during the week. After I
will visit the kids at the campus... and I will let you know.
Many greetings from Madrid. Abdi, Nune, Mohamed and Yusuf are really
happy, totally integrated within the whole group of kids from
different nationalities and conducting intensive football training
during the mornings and evenings. They are also receiving as
secondary activity, an english intensive course. They are now getting
used to the schedule and timetables at the summercamp.
On the liaison activities,
a) Real Madrid Foundation .
I have had a meeting this morning with the Executive Director, Social
Affairs Officer and the Chief Communication Officer. I have generally
briefed them on the UNCT work in Somalia, as well as the Peace
process and the main socio economic indicators of the country. They
are especially interested in following up and supporting the
post-Madrid process, and some potential future activities have been
openly discussed.
They are also mainly in charge of calling the media for the press
conference with the media at the Campus, the date is subject to
confirmation from the General Manager of Real Madrid, Emilio
Butragueño. Tentatively the activity would be on Thursday 22nd.
) UNICEF Nat Com
I have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning with the National
Executive Committee. In the meantime I have shared the briefing kit
and the audio visual material on Betacam with them in order to
prepare and select a 5 minutes projection during the press
conference. The idea for tomorrow would be defining the agenda of the
presentation and the role for each one.
c) UNDP Liaison Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
I have been permanently reporting and updating the Liaison Officer on
the contacts and communications already established.
d) Comunidad de Madrid (Regional Government)
Comunidad de Madrid has kindly confirmed they will take care of the
kids after the closure of the campus on July 31st. They are preparing
a list of activities for the kids for the period of 5 days prior
their departure. Apart of visiting places of cultural interest and
hosting them, they are planning to provide them an intensive swimming
training with special general coordination of the activity and
calling the media too.
Comunidad de Madrid, mentioned their full support, for the press
conference but also for additional activities which could be
undertaken.
Home | Contact us | Links | Archives