UK Scouts, Swazi Rover Scouts & Malibeni Community Youths working together to create a better world
Following a busy year of fundraising including events such as BBQ’s, selling homemade jewellery and holding a stall at a carnival, Scouts from all over Hertfordshire including Sarah Smith, daughter of Envirotect owners Niven and Janine Smith, were able to fund a project in Swaziland. The Scouts travelled to Swaziland where they met with Swazi Rover Scouts who stayed with the group throughout the whole expedition.
Hertfordshire Scouts were continuing with work on a project which originally started in 2011. The main focus of the trip was to commence with construction of a community/youth centre in the small town of Malibeni, Swaziland. The project involved digging the trenches for the foundations, laying the foundations, starting the brickwork and clearing the surrounding area; all skills that the Scouts had acquired during training camps held throughout the course of the previous year.
The Scouts worked on the project for just over a week and members of the local high school were encouraged to help with the project. This was especially nice as it gave the Scouts an opportunity to mix with locals of their own age and distribute donated items that they had amassed prior to the trip. The Scouts were also able to offer their wealth of experience to the younger generation which will help them to continue with work on site until 2018 when the Scouts are planning a return trip to add the finishing touches to the centre.
Every day that the Scouts were on site a small group would offer their services at a local soup kitchen where over 50 children would attend on a daily basis. The children were a mix of orphans and local children whose families could not afford a decent meal. The Scouts felt that it was important to help and get to know these children personally as they will benefit from the community centre in the future.
Whilst working on this project the Scouts stayed at a farm called Gogo Khoza (Grandma Khoza) which was a family farm of one of the Swazi Rovers. The Scouts stayed for a week and a half and were made very welcome. Gogo herself was blind but the children that lived on the farm helped to assist her. During this time the Scouts got to know the children very well; Leo was the eldest at 13 and he taught the Scouts Swati so they we able to speak to the younger children; Toba 9, Maheiro 8 and Neisagalel 5. The Scouts helped to cook whilst staying at the farm and at one point they had to cater for 80 people as Gogo had invited her church round to pray for her ill nephew.
Luckily for the Scouts the trip was not all work and no play as they visited Kruga National Safari Park where they stayed overnight and saw four of the big five. They also went white water rafting and abseiling. The Scouts had the chance to visit God’s window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes which were breathtakingly beautiful.