3000 young scouts camp at Kaazi

By Cecilia Okoth & Lawrence Mulondo

KAAZI - Some 3000 scouts and 272 scout leaders hailing from different parts of the country gathered to celebrate and share their scouting experiences at Kaazi camping grounds.

This year’s annual scout camp took place at the scouts’ home in Busabala, off Entebbe road in Wakiso district.

The sight of children rolling happily in mud, their camping tents pitched in the semi-forested camping grounds reminded one of those ubiquitous Vietnam movie scenes.

They have for the last one week braved the elements, coupled with mosquito bites.

Clad in scout uniform, hats and scarfs, the energetic school-going children, marched through the field while lifting placards of their respective schools. Others stayed behind to prepare meals for their colleagues.

The young scouts who engaged in daily competitions were tested by their leaders academically, logically, team spirit and practicals.

Some of the competitions included crafting, tree planting, cleaning up Busabala town and constructing temporary houses.

“We organize this camp annually to see how scouts all over the country handle themselves away from home and to encourage them share their knowledge amongst themselves,” said George William Onep, the Chief Commissioner of Uganda Scouts Association.
 

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Yopdida Girls School for the deaf  displayed their sewing skills at the closing ceremony. PHOTO/Kennedy Oryema

The Scouts Movement was started in Uganda 1915 by its founder Robert Baden-Powell in Mbarara district, and is due to celebrate a century of its existence in Uganda, come next year in September.

Globally, the movement has more than 10 million members.

Onep said 15,000 scouts from all over the world are expected to grace the centenary celebrations that will be organized in Mbarara.

The chief guest and chairperson of the Uganda Scouts Association, Patrick Mujuni Barugahare, hailed the scouts for exercising maximum discipline during the camp and urged them to engage in projects that will help them generate income to sustain resources within the movement.

This, he said, was in line with the theme dubbed “youth economic empowerment for sustainable peace and development.

Certificates were awarded to scout leaders who completed a training course. Trophies were also awarded to the best districts that showcased their scouting skills, with Ntungamo coming in first, followed by Mbarara and Gulu third.

It is understood the winning teams will take part in the East African scouting competitions that will be held in Rwanda.