Defending Mafikeng

In cooperation with the South African Scout Association, Scouts Canada took part in the United Nations Millennium Development Goal #1: eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. In August of 2010, youth and adults from across both countries travelled to Mafikeng, Northwest Province, South Africa to dig wells, and build community food gardens and rain water reservoirs. 
 
Just as our founder, Baden-Powell defended the city of Mafikeng against siege in 1899-1900, it was our turn to help defend the city against poverty and hunger. Youth involved in this project spent nine months here in Canada learning about poverty and hunger, and discovering what they can do to help.  Through the Scouts of the World Award program, the participants also had the opportunity to learn more about the culture and history of South Africa before they headed off from 5-26 August 2010.

During the weeks spent in South Africa, the project participants built and/or refurbished 8 different schools, including building and installing downspouts and water tanks where needed.  The participants also took part in an educational seminar on HIV/AIDS, and provided many other smaller community services to the local villages.  In short, the project was a complete success. 

TO READ A FULL REPORT ON THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
TO VIEW A VIDEO OF THIS TRIP, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Ghana Project
Part one of our mission is to build a dormitory building in the Scout village of Nwodua, Northern Ghana to enable local and surrounding youth to participate in Scouting programs, to gather and learn essential life skills and gain knowledge from other Scouts. Part two is to purchase and donate a mini bus that will serve to transport youth and materials to the building site and later to transport youth from neighboring villages to and from the Scout camp and other Scouting events.

Part three if funds permit, is to provide two or three lap top computers and printers to aid in administration of Scouting throughout the country of Ghana.

The benefits to our youth will include an understanding of cultural diversity, links to scouting around the world, self-discipline, leadership skills, cooperation and team building skills, appreciation for the benefits of education and an opportunity to make a real contribution to creating a better world.

 Namibia Project 

(click here to read an article by Alison Bentley - project team member)

This summer, a group of Venturers and Rovers from the Montreal area will be embarking on a Brotherhood Fund community development project in the Southern African country of Namibia. Our goal is to improve facilities at several nursery schools in the area of Okahandja, about 70 kilometres north of the capital city of Windhoek. None of these schools receive government funding despite the huge influx of AIDS orphans swelling the numbers of children in the classroom. Many of these schools are in a state of serious disrepair and lack even the most basic sanitation facilities.

Fortunately, the materials for international development projects such as this one come from the Canadian Brotherhood Fund. However each participant on the project must raise their travel, accommodation and food expenses, in addition to those of Namibian Scouts working with the group. In order to raise the approximately $100,000 needed for the trip, the group has been seeking private and corporate sponsorship and undertaking several fundraising events.

One fundraiser is the sale of T-shirts. Anyone wishing to support the Namibia Project either by buying a T-shirt (S-3XL), or by making a donation, should contact Alison Bentley at 450-458-8076, by e-mail at alison.bentley@sympatico.ca.

Back of T- shirt design.

Madagascar Project

Through the Canadian Scout Brotherhood Fund, the Scouts Canada International Relations Committee and Tri-Shores Council, a group of 31 members of Scouts Canada, in Tri-Shores Council will take on a community development project as a final project for the Centennial Celebrations of Scouting  in August 2008 in Madagascar.  The project location will be in Ambato Boeni.Ambato Boeni is a small, poor village that has relied heavily on the local river for drinking water, irrigation, washing and sanitation.  Changes in the local climate have reduced the water flow to approximately half of its previous volume.  This causes the concentrations of pollutants to be much higher and as a result, people are becoming ill from the poor water quality.  This project will tackle many challenges faced in the Sub Saharan region of Africa .  First, we will be digging wells to provide the much needed fresh water supply.  By doing so, we will be enabling those people (almost universally women) who would have spent most of the day retrieving water, to spend their time doing more important tasks, like going to school.  This brings about the final aspect of the project: the multi-use facility.  We will be constructing a cyclone proof community centre, which will act also as a classroom and Scout Hall to service the village of Ambato Boeni for many years to come.

TO VIEW A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FOR THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
 

Paraguay
For more information and video footage of this trip, please click on the following two links:
Video #1 - prepared by project participant Creighton Avery - music recorded while in Paraguay and includes voices of four Paraguay youth and four Canadian youth.
Video #2 - prepared by a Paraguayan Scout leader.