Africa Scouts Day is a day reserved for Scouts in Africa to recognize the work they are doing in their communities said Christopher Bwanali Chief Commissioner Zimbabwe Scouts at the commemorations opening ceremony held at Ruwa Scouts Park. This year’s theme read: Uniting young people through scouting. The event which is celebrated annually on the 13th of March had ten countries from the region and over five hundred young people from the country’s ten provinces in attendance.
“Uniting young people through scouting is about bringing all young people together so that they create a better world,” Dr. Wayne Davis Africa Scouts Committee Chairperson noted as he expounded on this year’s theme. He said young people should stand guided by the ethos of the Scouts Movement and those values should be evident in all facets of their lives so that they contribute towards the development of their communities.
“Today more than ever the world needs Scouting,” he added. The chair also said African problems require home grown solutions and believes the continent has the intellectual capacity in the Scouts. “Scouting is to do duty to others, duty to god, duty to the country and duty to self,” said Commissioner Bwanali reinforcing the chair’s utterances. Scouting provides an adventurous approach to life skills learning by bringing together young people from diverse backgrounds to work in harmony to find solutions to mind raging intellectual tasks. During their boot camps, Scouts are taught basic survival skills a normal family setting would not.
A young Scout Tafara from Flitchlea Primary from Kwekwe said scouting provides a rare opportunity for learning some chores usually ascribed to sex through socialization. “Scouting gives us a chance to learn some of these household chores that are feminine. Our parents do not want us anywhere near the kitchen,” he lamented.
A Malawian national, Kondwani Naveko who is also Flying Eagles troop leader said apart from enhancing young people’s skills set, scouting keeps them busy and away from drug abuse. “Not only does scouting advance skills of these young people , but also shields them from substance abuse that usually results from idleness,” he explained.
By and large, scouting prepares young people to become active citizens whose overall objective is to contribute towards sustainable development. Scouting prepares young people for any eventualities.
Scouting provides world class exposure to global and regional partnerships at national level as evidenced by UNICEF’s presence at the ceremony. UNICEF partnered Scout Association of Zimbabwe to further extend the U-Report a free social monitoring tool for youth and community participation in development. U-Report establishment enables communication sharing between SCOUTS nationally, regionally, and globally and allows for convenient and meaningful participation in the same.
