Gitega, Burundi: Over 1,000 Scouts from 31 Countries have come together in Burundi for the 9th Africa Scout Jamboree. For ten days, the participants aged 12-17 years, supported by an International Service Team of adult volunteers, will take part in a wide variety of educational and fun activities, both onsite and offsite, aimed at promoting education, peace and understanding. The countries represented include Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Ethiopia, France, Guinea, Gambia, Hong Kong, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Poland, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Taiwan, Togo, Uganda, Zambia.
The camping event being held at the Bungere National Scout Centre in Gitega is organized by the Africa Scout Region of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) and hosted by Association des Scouts du Burundi (ASB) under the theme “Safe Spaces, New Experiences” and places great importance on the everyday life and interaction on the campsite. It is the second time that Burundi is hosting the jamboree after successfully delivering the sixth edition back in 2012. The Africa Scout Jamboree is held every four years in a different location. Participants will depart on 11th August 2024.
With a focus on three sub themes: people, nature and innovation the Jamboree programme, supported by many partners, will provide an opportunity for the young people to connect, learn from each other, share experiences, and develop their interpersonal skills. Participants will also connect with nature and play their part, individually and collectively, to take care of the jamboree site and all other places visited. There will also be opportunity for learning and showcasing innovative solutions to challenges faced by the different communities they come from.
Critical to the overall experience is the commitment to ensuring the safety and security of everyone taking part in the event. All adults took a mandatory Safe from Harm e-learning course, underwent an onsite safeguarding orientation and signed a commitment to abide by a Code of Conduct that guides behaviour at the jamboree.
The official opening ceremony held on 5th August presided over by H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi was a colourful showcase of diversity of nationalities and cultures present reflecting the vibrant Scouting spirit at the jamboree. While reflecting on his brief experience as a young Cub Scout, he expressed his admiration for the Scouting principles of service, peace and love for others. “Scouts don’t complain, they enjoy every moment and find solutions to the challenges they face. If all Burundians had the heart of Scouts, then Burundi would be a much better country.” He welcomed the foreign participants to Burundi and encouraged Burundian Scouts to learn from them how they too can contribute to the development of their country in cooperation with other members of society. In his capacity as the African Union’s Champion for Youth, the President urged the young people to utilise their potentials to be creative and innovative to the challenges experienced by their countries and to be steadfast stewards of the environment.
In his message, the Regional Director Frederic Kama-Kama noted that by bringing together participants from all over Africa and beyond, this 9th Africa Scout Jamboree demonstrates not only the vitality of the Scout movement on our continent, but also its ability to foster links and mutual understanding across borders, based on shared values. “This jamboree offers a unique opportunity for learning through the menu of different activities, including community activities and educational visits. Take advantage of these activities to develop your individual but also collective skills. My own experience of these kinds of events is that the knowledge acquired, and friendships made on such occasions remain for life,” he urged the participants.
Fred Ishimwe, a Youth Advisor to the Africa Scout Committee encouraged the particpants to enjoy the jamboree and take it as an opportunity to learn, make frienships and build skills to contribute to sustainable development of their countries and communities. “Africa's youth is the driving force of our future. We have within us the potential, the energy and the creativity to shape a prosperous and sustainable continent. Let us be committed and ready to seize every opportunity that presents itself in this jamboree and in Scouting in general for lasting change in our communities,” he encouraged.
The Jamboree Director Gilbert Mussumba and the Chief Commissioner of ASB Philbert Ndayisaba expressed their delight at the honour of hosting the jamboree and thanked the government for allowing ASB to bid for the event. They also appreciated the Jamboree Organizing Committee, the Camp Management Team and all partners for supporting the planning and delivery of the event.
Others present included the Governor of Gitega Hon. Venant Manirambona, Minister of National Defense of Burundi Hon. Alain Tribert Mutabazi, Minister of Trade, Transport, Industry and Tourism Hon. Marie Chantal Nijimbere, and Minister of Youth, Sports and East African Community Affairs Hon. Gervais Abayeho, members and Youth Advisors to the Africa Scout Committee, Youth Advisor to the World Scout Committee, staff of the World Scout Bureau, partners of WOSM and ASB among other guests. You can follow and engage with the 9th Africa Scout Jamboree on social media using the hashtags #AfricaScoutJamboree and #9ASJBurundi2024.
