It was in the autumn of 2012 when I came across the vacant post of Rwandan National Cricket Coach. London was serving up a typically wet and breezy autumnal day and the mere thought of some African sunshine had grabbed my attention. Two months later I found myself soaring above the Sahara desert on my way to Kigali airport and my involvement in Rwandan cricket had begun.

Rwanda, a tiny but densely populated country in Central Africa, had come to the world's attention in the spring of 1994 when it was brought to its knees by a brutal and bloody genocide. In the space of three months over 800,000 Tutsi men, women, and children were slaughtered by their Hutu neighbours. There followed an exodus of Tutsi survivors desperately trying to escape the unfolding atrocities by taking refuge in bordering countries - Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Later, Hutu perpetrators, fearful of the advancing liberating army, also fled Rwanda, following the path of their fellow countrymen.

It was during these enforced journeys that Rwandans were exposed to the game of cricket; when they finally returned to their homeland, a number did so with a strong desire to continue with their new found love of the game.

I spent five weeks coaching at the Kicukiro 'Oval' on the outskirts of the capital city, Kigali. Full of rustic charm, the 'oval' was in fact the only dedicated cricket ground in the whole country. I soon discovered that it was also home to two large cows that would often interrupt the session by laying down for an afternoon siesta. No matter where they chose as a resting place, their position on the field inevitably became 'cow corner'.

It was Nature, albeit of a smaller variety than our bovine friends, which once again played a significant role at the Kicukiro ground. Ants would build huge nests that would spring forth - seemingly overnight - from the baked, red clay soil that is such a prominent feature of the Rwandan landscape. These nests were large enough and strong enough to stop any well struck cover drive from finding its way to the boundary. A by-product of these nests were the holes the ants dug. Wide enough for a ball to fall into, I very quickly made it known that I was not a contestant on I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! and wouldn't be volunteering to retrieve these balls.

I coached an assorted group of cricketers that ranged from international men and women, to boys and girls experiencing the game for the first time. My stay culminated in me helping to prepare the Under 19 girls team for their ICC tournament held in Uganda at the beginning of December.

My time in Rwanda was an incredible experience. The Rwandan people were warm, generous, and welcoming and are slowly putting the traumatic events of twenty years ago behind them.

The Rwandan Cricket Stadium Foundation under the directorship of Oli Broom, is working towards building a brand new stadium on the outskirts of Kigali. This ground will house excellent facilities and will give the country an ICC approved ground on which to host official international fixtures, as well as encouraging club sides and schools from around the world to visit and play at the new venue.

Rwanda is not a rich country and like most developing nations it relies heavily on outside funding to start and maintain projects such as this, especially in the early years. Having worked with the young and enthusiastic Rwandan coaches to develop and hone their skills, and seeing the passion for what to them is a new sport, I have no doubt that the cricket provision will continue to grow. Schools and orphanages throughout the country are full of the results of the genocide of twenty years ago; here, in cricket, is a spark of hope for the future.