Scouts are prepared for aid trip

Published on Thursday 2 July 2009 10:09

A GROUP of Scouts from Edinburgh are set to spend almost a month in a remote African village constructing a playground for Aids orphans.

The 24 intrepid members of the South Morningside Explorer Scout Unit, aged between 14 and 18, will be camping out in Uganda in the adventure of a lifetime.

The group will be staying on the outskirts of the village of Serere, in the district of Soroti, during their three and-a-half week expedition, which will see them construct a playground for orphans.

The 50,000 cost of the trip has been raised by the Explorer Scouts, who have organised a wide range of charity events over the past two years including concerts and raffles, as well as packing bags at supermarkets.

Scout Alice Mackenzie said: "I can't wait to get out there and make a real difference for kids who aren't as fortunate as us. It's been great fun practising all the building skills and getting ready, but I don't think anything can prepare us fully for what will be a life-changing experience."

The team will work closely with the local people, and the charity Village2Village, to provide the much needed play facilities for orphans who are cared for by local families.

The country saw thousands of children orphaned by Aids after HIV infections in Uganda reached epidemic proportions in the 1980s.

Uganda has since been hailed as a rare success story in Africa for combating the spread of the disease through a series of national measures including education programmes, and the promotion of monogamy and abstinence.

However, caring for the children left orphaned is difficult, and villagers were said to be delighted that the Scouts had volunteered to help build a play area.

The youngsters from Edinburgh will also learn some traditional construction skills during their trip, with organisers saying they will be constructing a banda – a traditional Uganda hut – to provide a meeting place for charity workers.

The trip has been in the planning for more than two years, and was organised and supported by a team of six Explorer Scout leaders, after the expedition leader, Neil Mackenzie, became friends with Ugandan charity worker James Mutaka.

Mr Mackenzie said: "This expedition is just as much about developing our young people as it is about supporting the fantastic work of a small charity like Village2 Village."

The expedition team will head off on their adventure from Edinburgh Airport in the early hours of tomorrow after two years of hard work and preparation.

Craig Gilroy, 16, one of the senior members of the group, said: "After such a long journey of preparing and fundraising we are all really excited that the trip is almost here. It's going to be such an adventure."

The Scouts plan to make sure everyone who donated to their trip will be able to follow their adventure via Twitter, at www. twitter.com/smesu