Annual Report 2006

A Gift for Future Generations

A Scout sings and dances at a campfire … this image is timeless … he is in a special world away from his regular surroundings … behind him is
darkness and the unknown. Around him are his Scout friends, and in front is a warm and welcoming fire … he sings, he jokes, he dances … he builds his confidence, he is among friends who join him … he can be anything he wants here, he is anything he wants to be!
 
This could be any year since the founding of Scouting in 1907. It could be any place in the 155 countries where Scouting has taken root, and this young man could be any one of the 28 million young men or women in Scouting today, or any of the 500 million who have worn a Scout uniform in the last 100 years.
 
This particular young man is Jacob, a 16-year-old Scout, running a course on HIV/AIDS for children from a deprived community near Mafikeng, in
South Africa, one hundred years after Scouting started. Jacob and his fellow Scouts lead a class of 30 children, aged between 9 and 12 years, most of their students are AIDS orphans, and Jacob uses the campfire to build a sense of trust among his students and to help these children believe that change is possible … the children sing, dance, grow … and believe!