Gifts for Peace competition
Thank you to all of the Cubs, Scouts and Rover Scouts who entered the Gifts for Peace competition, sharing their photos, videos and sound clips, and their truly inspirational stories.
Entries were received from Australia, Burundi, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Romania, Tanzania, Turkey and The United Kingdom. A well-known photographer and friend of World Scouting, Yoshi Shimizu, helped to judge the entries. Yoshi is the photographer who took the stunning Gifts for Peace photos for the World Scout Foundation 2005 annual report.
Please remember that all of your projects are 'winners', and the contribution you make is of the utmost importance.
Gifts for Peace is all about getting involved, making a difference by tackling an issue in your community. We will share your excellent local projects soon on the project area of this website, but for now you can read about the four wonderful projects, and their accompanying media files, that were selected to receive the digital equipment prizes:
Under 11 Photo Category - La Colombe Cub Pack, Musaga, Bujumbura, Burundi:
Kaze Ornella, Irakoze Bernisse, Ishimwe Armel, Inamahoro Gloria, Nizigiyimana Nina, Nshimirimana Eddy, Dushime Ahmed, Remesha Emma, Camwezi Brian, Kazungu Kenny, Landry, Loïck, Iradukunda Christa and leader Kévin Girumugisha.
'La Colombe' Cub pack from Musaga, Bujumbura in Burundi is showing solidarity with young children who have been repatriated from the conflict area of Gikoto and have suffered greatly from the effects of the war.
Through their Gift for Peace project, the Cub Scouts and their leaders organise games that are not only fun, but teach about peace and reconciliation. The children can play together in a safe environment and are learning to understand that they can lead a life without war or the need to flee. When they first ran the activities, the children were timid and found it hard to join in. Now, they have learned how to smile and laugh again with the Cubs, and to try to move on from all of the sadness in their lives caused by the war. The Cub Scouts have also collected clothes for the children, showing them that they care and are proud to be their friends.
Congratulations to all the Cubs in the La Colombe Cub Pack for showing you care and making a difference to the lives of others. This inspirational project along with accompanying photos wins the under 11 age group for the Gifts for Peace competition.
11-14 Photo Category - Qiblatain Scout Group, Tanzania:
Munir R Kimea , Zuhura Abubatar, Jamila Ally, Samir Warfaa Herz, Tunu Is'Haq, Asma Shujaudin, Husna Shujaudin.
Qiblatain Scout Group in Tanzania is supporting HIV/AIDS orphans and street children in their community as their Gift for Peace.
They chose this project having learned that over 75% of the children in orphanages and on the streets in their area had come to be in this situation having lost their parents or carers to HIV/AIDS.
Through this project, the Qiblatain Scouts have become more aware about HIV/AIDS and have held discussion sessions at their troop meetings. They are spending time in orphanages and with street children to learn more about the issues they face, and to support them to get back into education programmes. They visit people with AIDS in homes and hospitals to give them help with basic needs, and they are now working with the local government to gain support for these initiatives and increase the aid given to orphans, street children and HIV/AIDS patients.
This Gifts for Peace project has really made a difference, and there has been a shift in changes in attitude in the local community which now shows more interest in helping HIV/AIDS orphans and street children. Congratulations to all of the Scouts involved in this project, and to the group whose story, along with photos showing the project in action, wins the 11-14 age category of the Gifts for Peace competition.
15-26 Photo Category - La Colombe Rover Crew, Musaga, Bujumbura, Burundi:
Havyarimana Evrard, Bakanibona Fernand, Nkurunziza Aimé Gaël, Kwizera Blaise, Girumugisha Kévin, Dorine, Bukuru Colin, Nimubona Come and leader Aphrodis Sabushimike.
Scouts from the rover section of La Colombe group, in Musaga, Bujumbura in Burundi, decided to support one of their local inhabitants and her family as their Gift for Peace.
The Rovers got to know a blind lady living with her grandchildren in their town. The roof on her home was full of holes, there was no toilet for the family to use, and she was not receiving any support from the local administration.
They decided, in the spirit of solidarity, to do the necessary work and give this woman the help that she desperately needed.
In December 2006, they met at the lady's home. They made the earth bricks, build the toilet, filled in the holes in the roof and took time to talk to her about daily life. She told them about her life and that her grandchildren who are very young (under 10 years old) go to the town centre to beg for money and return with the little that they manage to collect. When they get home they have to do the daily household chores. She is very sad, and has very little to look forward to in life, but she has the future of her grandchildren to consider, and these acts of solidarity and kindness gave her some hope. The Rovers have decided to return to visit and are happy that they could make a small difference for the lady and her family.
Congratulations to the Rover Scouts involved in this project, which accompanied by photos showing the project in action wins the 15-26 age category of the Gifts for Peace competition.
15-26 Audio Category - Rover Group 'Red Ambiental Nayarit', Mexico:
Cristian Becerra Monroy, Cruz de Jesús García Chavez and their Rover Crew.
15-26 Sound Clip Category Winner: Rover Scouts in Mexico
Rover Scouts in Mexico are working to develop their community and promote cooperation with others to create a better world.
These Rovers belong to the 'Red Ambiental Nayarit' (Nayarit Environmental Network), a group of volunteers who work to support social development, protection of the environment and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In March 2005, six Rover Scouts, aged fifteen to twenty-two, developed a programme called "Conscious Society, Healthy Environment", which involves them going into schools in their town to deliver training workshops on the environment. The Scouts also work with local organisations to develop environmental projects.
They have set up a programme to separate waste and resell it, therefore promoting recycling and ensuring that the project becomes auto-financing. This particular project has now been taken up in other areas of the town.
Congratulations to the Rovers for their great project, which together with a one minute sound clip wins the 15-26 age category in the Gifts for Peace competition.
It's hard to convey two years work in a one minute sound clip, but they did a good job! You can listen to their clip (in Spanish) here.
To hear the winning entry :