Scouts are an integral part of the ShelterBox community and have a strong history of working with the disaster relief charity in areas of humanitarian crisis; most recently, the youngest National Scout Organisation collaborated with a ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) in the newest country in the world - South Sudan.
‘Wherever I go in the world, the Scouts continue to amaze me,’ said SRT member Eric Deluca (US) who was part of the team deployed to the area. ‘In South Sudan, we’re looking at an association that is less than a year old, yet the amount of professionalism and passion they bring to the table is truly inspiring, especially having been living in a country that has experienced so much violence and suffering over the past few years.
‘When they arrived at the warehouse where the ShelterBoxes were stored, they opened with a song. The energy and excitement that they displayed in that song carried throughout the day.’
In addition to distributing aid to the communities, ShelterBox was able to make a donation of tents and other equipment to the Scouts as well.
‘Unexpected gift’
Secretary-General of the South Sudan Scouts Association, Evans Gogonya Israel, said the Scouts in South Sudan are grateful for this unexpected gift that gives them a great start for their Scout activities and projects. They have focused their efforts to assist the most vulnerable people in their country. The tents and other lifesaving items will be used to provide housing for Scouts as they travel to remote regions of the country to assist these needy populations.
‘One project we have focused on is to construct Tukuls [traditional South Sudanese homes] for people with Leprosy,’ commented Evans. ‘We are also working to help the elderly, as well as people suffering from river blindness, guinea worms and HIV/aids.’
Having prepositioned stock in South Sudan allows for swift and targeted distributions to assist those in need.
‘Sustainable impact’
‘It’s refreshing and exciting to be able to support an organization like the South Sudan Scouts Association, who are based in the local community and are really driving grassroots efforts to make a sustainable impact on the lives of vulnerable populations,’ added SRT member and ShelterBox Operations Coordinator Dave Ray (UK).
Thank you
Today, on the Birthday of Scouting, ShelterBox would like to thank Scouts around the world for their vital support to its disaster relief work.
