Scouts of Sudan create a better life for children in conflict situation
Egypt

Scouts of Sudan create a better life for children in conflict situation

The region of South Kordofan has been suffering since a long time of both political and social conflicts, where the demographics of this area is a mixture of Arabs and Africans, and who wrangled over pasture and agriculture. That was the main point from which the initiative of the named project was driven from in trying to integrate the affected children by conflicts into the community and keeping them in safe from the risk of being involved into violence activities, getting the utmost benefit of them for the reconstructing of their areas and to increase the awareness of their communities to renounce violence and deep rooting the values of peace. As well as to identify the most influential areas and establishing scouting troops, training adults and youth to provide the suitable work environment and choosing the scout voluntary leaders and the staff to finish the required procedures of encouraging the enrollment of young people and children into the scout movement. The project targeted Scouts and senior Scout groups in these areas who suffer from the effects of these wars, conflicts and the lack of safe Shelter/ house and honorable living from those who have been displaced to other safe cities and areas. As well as targeted children of the age of eight and older as well as number of scouts and community leaders from tribal key leaders adding to that women who have been affected by conflict and lost their livelihoods or have been subjected to violence. The program of the project included number of key activities which outputs are as follows: ACTIVITY 1: Launching the project Action: Organizing a workshop for the local families and residents to increase their awareness about the role of peace in developing communities. As well as, the importance of integrating of affected children in the different scouting activities. Moreover, highlighting the role of scouting in building peace through the organization of public meetings targeting the different sectors of society including workshops for the affected children to identify their real needs. Outputs: * Organizing workshops on the role of community in spreading peace and protecting children. * Lecturing more than 750 participants from the local community on the importance of peace and the role of the named project for the targeted children. ACTIVITY 2 : Establishing scouting troops (cub scouts/ scouts/ senior scouts & rovers). Action: Organizing training for leaders and their assistants who are in a direct charge of establishing scouting troops and units of the project, where a basic (a preliminary for the wood badge), as well as advanced ones for scout leaders. Outputs: Training 20 scout leaders and their assistants as well as some of 8 leaders for the project to follow up the implementation process of the different activities of the project. ACTIVITY 3: Interacting with the community Action: each group established community service projects to carry on and they have to find local partner/s. Outputs: Implementation of 5 community service activities by each group. The project has achieved SIGNIFICANT AND POSITIVE CHANGES TO the targeted BENEFICIARIES where there were number of FACTORS THAT PLAYED A ROLE IN its SUCCESS as follows: • Establishing a well-established 4 scouting groups which are carrying on sustain activities. • The commitment of new scouting group members and the affected ones in the different educational institutes which they joined as they are followed up with their scouting leaders. • Creating efficient local partnerships between local scouting leaders and the civil community in the affected area, which helped in strengthening scouting movement in the area. Moreover, promoting for the future activities. • Increasing the awareness of the local leaders about the importance of promoting peace through the different activities and the clarity of scout movement role in interacting with the community which will help in improving the scouting profile. INTERVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS: 1. " The project initiative was a driven from a field scouting visit to the targeted affected zone. The program of this visit included a general tour for the blue Neil area which helped the leaders of the project in framing the idea of the project. The good reputation of the scout movement and the positive scouting profile supported greatly for the positive interaction of the different sectors of the community with the idea of project. One of the very clear positive effects of the project activities was the great impact appeared on the targeted children (beneficiaries) which I recorded as I carried on an indirect follow up of the relevant activities. As I managed number of informal meetings with the families, local leaders of the area as well as conducted ones with the formal offices/ institutes which confirmed the reduction in violence behavior and the clear great role of the targeted children who expressed their deep interest to carry on different activities in their areas. As another positive surprise was the feedback of the educational committee which confirmed their record of the reduction in the percentage of drop- out of schools. All these indicators reflected the great importance of the necessity to increase relevant activities, which have a wide echo and supported promoting the scouting profile in the affected zone in particular and Sudan in general. I am so proud in being a member of the project team and with the outputs which have been implemented. As well as so pleased to touch personally the great effective role that the scout movement can play in the community, and which reflects the method and principles of the scout movement that help it to fit with all and different circumstances and conditions. Really, I am so proud of being part of this project which has great changes in the lives of many of involved and targeted children, their families and community, hoping that it may sustain for as long as possible to contribute in creating a better world", said Ahmad Nirmr , coordinator of Messengers of peace in Sudan. 2." I would like to share my experience as I'm the supervisor of the project team, I am Ghazy Hassan Nael, I was a member of the team leaders responsible for the implementation of the project activities. I joined this project for more than one reason. First, my deep interest and belief in the main idea of the project. Secondly, my strong belief in the scout movement and the efficient and strong role that it may play for improving the environment and providing the positive atmosphere for those affected children. Thirdly, for my previous experience in similar projects implemented in Sudan. I was so proud to touch the great achievement of scouting method and the positive change that it achieved in the life of about 500 children in the targeted area and the reaction of the community with them. I met one of the mothers of the involved children, she was crying happily with the great change that the named project has done with the life of her elder son who was deeply affected with the passing away of his father during one of the conflicts, and he became very positive and gives a hand of help and share house works as well as being committed to his school. Moreover, she asked to integrate her rest of sons to the project because she looked for a better future for them that can be achieved via scouting. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all those involved in the project". Number of learned lessons were drafted as follows: • Establishing scouting groups and created a kind of integration among the targeted children through networking their families in mutual relationships and changing their behaviors as well as carrying on community service projects under the supervision of the project leaders and mutual interaction with the local community. • The necessity to keep in touch with the local leaders keeping in mind the traditions of each area. • The necessity to focus next time on the development of the training process and framing a following up and communication systems. As well as developing interactive activities which may include moving the groups to different areas for motivation and exchanging relevant experiences and knowledge. We can list number of CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES which the implementation process of the project faced as follows:: • Designing joint activities to achieve the goals of the project. • Dealing with the rooted notions and the affected minds with the violence. • Finding suitable training materials for local leaders which copy with their privacy.
Started Ended
Number of participants
29
Service hours
5568
Location
Egypt
Topics
Youth Programme

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