Thirst For Life
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Swaziland Boy Scouts AssociationSwaziland |
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Scouts in Swaziland are working to support HIV/Aids orphaned and vulnerable children through a project called 'Thirst For Life'. They are helping them to develop interpersonal and lifeskills through Scouting and are meeting the needs of their local communities by building a Centenary Centre to provide clean water for the inhabitants and to cultivate vegetables.
Description
Thirst For Life aims to empower children with relevant and meaningful life skills, including agricultural and business skills. The Scouts have planted crops of sweet potatoes and beans in the arable land around the Centenary centre. The project also provides water and sanitation for the local people and is also a place where Scouts from Swaziland and abroad can camp and train. The site has already been used for a camp for HIV/AIDS orphans when the children had the opportunity to sleep in tents, a first experience for many of them. An awareness campaign was organised during the same period, as well as a football tournament, which was attended by the local community, including a member of parliament.
The centre is well equipped, with latrines and clean water, and some arable land, which is important for the sustainability of the project. The Scouts are still raising funding for the project and have strong partnerships with Scouts in the County of Avon, United Kingdom, and also in the United States. They aim to make this centre a lasting asset for the Scouts and the local community.
You can find out more about this project from: www.avonscouts.org.uk/thirstforlife