Scouts help kids deal with issues through sport
A local group of scouts were joined by a group from Germany last month and they had a great time working on a local farm and hosting a soccer tournament for the community.
KAMHLUSHWA – Six Scouts from Germany recently joined their local peers to help a day-care centre and host a soccer tournament for Mandela Day.
Bongani Makhubela, a troop leader in the Nkomazi District and part of Scouts SA Mpumalanga, and the Germans were joined by Scouts from Phindela Primary School. The group worked at Inkhezi Vegetable and Poultry Cooperative in exchange for produce, which was donated to a care centre in Sikhwahlane.
READ: Scouting in Nkomazi helps change children’s lives
On July 21 they hosted a soccer workshop at a primary school in KaMhlushwa for local youth. This project was to commemorate Nelson Mandela’s legacy as part of the icon’s centenary celebrations.
The event’s aim was to use soccer as a tool to engage young people and get them to openly discuss issues such as HIV/Aids, human trafficking and environmental education.
READ: Learners taught how to avoid human trafficking traps
About 160 young people attended and had such a great time that they asked whether another workshop could be held soon.
The German students had a great time immersing themselves in the local culture and helping to uplift the community.
Makhubela explained that they come from the Bund der Pfadfinderinner und Pfadfinder (BDP) Scout organisation, which has been working with the provincial Scouts for five years.
In 2013, Makhubela and two fellow Scouts were invited to attend one of the organisation’s national jamborees in Germany. The Mpumalanga Scouts office helped to arrange the trip.
READ: Belgian students bring expertise to Komatipoort schools
Last year, 10 Scouts were once again invited to a jamboree in Germany. Although they were delighted to accept, they felt that their German friends should also be able to experience South Africa.
Six BDP Scouts from the White Rose Scouts group then arranged to visit the Nkomazi Scouts for a couple of weeks in July.
Participating in community projects together was great, Makhubela explained. “It was great that we young people could come together as equals regardless of our backgrounds.”
For more information on the Scouts, visit www.scouts.org.za.
