It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.
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Building hope and making a difference
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. DescriptionThe 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 won the 15-26 age category of the Gifts for Peace competition.
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