Incredible work by Scouts in Kenya
In the week after the Easter holiday, WOSM Secretary General, Scott Teare visited the Africa Scout Regional Office at Rowallan National Scout Camp in Nairobi, Kenya. Accompanied by Abdullah Rasheed, Consultant and Special Advisor to the Secretary General, he interacted with the staff and visited the Kenya Scouts Association.
His visit coincided with the Staff Management Conference that took place from 7 to 10 April. The conference conducted a review of regional activities and planned for the new triennium. For four days, the staff worked hard to draw a roadmap that aligned the region’s plans and contributions to World Scouting’s strategy - Vision 2023.
The Secretary General commended the staff for their performance, and expressed his personal commitment to Africa and plans on visiting more countries in the region to support the growth of the national movements.
During his visit, the Secretary General had the opportunity to visit Kibra Scout Troop, which is conducting a vibrant Scout programme within Kibera Slum – the largest in Africa. These Scouts and their leaders are doing a wonderful job. Supported by Rovers Scouts, the Scout leaders undertake numerous activities to educate the young people and instil Scout values in them with the hope of empowering them to create a better life for themselves and their families.
He commended the Kenya Scouts Association on its efforts to improve its system of governance, youth programme delivery and membership growth. He was pleased to note that so far, they have recruited and registered over 870,000 Scouts and will soon have one million members. This corresponds with efforts to recruit 32,000 adult volunteers as Scout leaders to support the delivery of the youth programmes.
Scott was also pleased with the association’s commitment to plant and nurture 20 million trees by 2017 in support of the Government’s effort to replenish the forest cover to at least 10%. Working in partnership with the National Bank of Kenya, Kenya Forest Service and other stakeholders, the Scouts under the “Green Patrols Project” have so far planted over 17 million trees in different parts of the country.
“These inspiring stories from Kenya remind us of the impact Scouting is making all over the world. With our collective efforts, we are able to realise phenomenal change. Scouting teaches us to go beyond ourselves and discover the strength in our diversity, empowering us to create a better world for our communities,” he said.
