In October 2007, a group of Scouts from the 47^th Plymouth and 90^th Bristol will embark on a trip of a lifetime. Five Scout Leaders, two Parent Helpers and nine Scouts and Young Leaders leave the shores of the United Kingdom to explore the landlocked country of The Kingdom of Nepal, the third poorest nation in the world.

This will complete a circle that was started 3 years ago, when money was raised to buy a well in Nepal in memory of a Scout who died in 2004. It has always been said, “one day we will take the Scouts there”.

You can see from the undertaking below, it is not just a holiday but a 2 week working experience, where they will learn, touch, feel and taste the encounter for themselves by experiencing the diverse cultures, customs, religions and lifestyles that is the real Nepal.

As part of the continued campaign to put adventure back into the lives of young people and the ‘OUT’ in Scouting in this, the Scouts Centenary year, it was decided to ‘do something different’.  They decided to visit Nepal to see what difference our monetary gifts have made to the lives of this impoverished land.  

With Nepal being one of the poorest countries in the world, and the likelihood that few of the Nepalese Scouts would be able to visit England for the Scout World Jamboree, it was decided to take the Jamboree to them, creating a link and relationship with their first ever Scout Troop, the 1^st Meghauli.

As well as having FUN FUN FUN, the Scouts taking part in this expedition will undertake the following activities / projects:

• Spend time working with the NEpal Water And Health (NEWAH) programme,
• Help teach the local population about the benefits of Sanitation and Health
• Help with the installation of the deep and shallow tube wells, and manufacture/installation of the Asian toilets.
• Visit the well bought in the memory of Joe, one of the Plymouth Scouts who sadly died in 2004.
• Witness first hand the benefits brought to the villagers by having fresh clean water on their doorstep, and the ‘joy’ that this essential need brings.

Continue the environmental pledge that the 47^th Plymouth Scout

Group has undertaken over the past four years (Earning them 3 Green Apple gold awards for the environment and last year winning a environmental top award for ‘young person’ in Europe).  

• Spend time learning about the jungle environment and its diversity of animals and plants, in the Chitwan National Park, by undertaking a one-day jungle walk and elephant ride.
• Visit (and stay with) local families, learning their ways, customs and lifestyles; therefore broadening their understanding of the true Nepalese way of life.
• Visit the Wolfgang Linké kindergarten and engage in role play and help ‘teach’ English to the 70 children attending school.
• Visit the numerous farming and ecological projects undertaken by the villagers as a result of funding from the Friendship Clinic, (where funding is provided by the Scouting communities in the UK).
• Lay the foundation stone for the Scout HQ/Kindergarten at the Ashavan Farm (Farm of Hope) site, a community farm run by the Villagers and Scouts to provide the poor and needy in the village with fresh produce (rice, lentils, root vegetables, eggs, milk, honey, etc).          
• Teach the two troops (“Everest” and “Macchapuchhre” (‘Fish-tail’)) the fun you can have in Scouting, this will culminate in a 3 day (2 night) Jungle Jamboree, where the Scouts will run the Jamboree from the Opening to the Closing Ceremony.  This will be witnessed by the Chief Commissar of Nepal Scouting (Mr Shree Ram Lamichhane), who will be camping for the duration of the Jamboree.

The experience will be rounded off with a trip to the mountain range of the mighty Annapurna’s, where the party will embark on a 4 day (3 night) tea-house walk to see the sunrise at Poon Hill. The route ambles through steep lush hill country, taking in some lovely Gurung villages and weather permitting, rewarding them with outstanding views of the Annapurna’s and Macchapuchhre. The highest point reached is 3200m (10,400ft).

Finally, they return from Pokhara to the historic town of Tansen, then by train to Delhi for the flight home.

For Richard (15 yrs), an Explorer Scout from Bristol, this expedition is quite a challenge. For Richard (who has just started as a Young Leader), like most of the party, it is the first time he has undertaken this type of activity.  He said “I am looking forward to the complete change of culture and the opportunity to meet the young people of Nepal. I will see the jungle, mountains and all the varied wildlife. I think it will be very exciting”.

Rhys (15 yrs), also an Explorer Scout from Bristol said “I am really looking forward to meeting some Nepalese children and seeing how differently they live to me. I think I am going to have a shock! I have never been to a place that is going to be so different to home and I know I will remember it forever. We will be doing some work in the village, helping to dig water wells and teaching the children some English. I will try to learn some Nepalese. We will also be having a Jamboree there with them as they would never be able to afford to travel to one themselves”.

Baden Powell was right when he wrote in ‘Scouting for Boys’ that “without adventure life would be deadly dull”.

Opening the eyes of young people to the ‘other’ world is so important.  They then realise that they live in a privileged society and that there are many people in the world who are less fortunate than ourselves.  This realisation will hopefully continue to evoke one of the fundamental laws of Scouting – to help other people”. 

This trip will not only enhance their Scouting lives, it will be giving the new generation of adult Leaders the confidence and skills required, so that they can continue to provide opportunities like this to young people, work that is so vitally important.”

The proposed trip is an education in itself, notwithstanding the tasks that we have set ourselves to complete during the time we are there (we will need a holiday when we return)!  But also it is an opportunity that is every bit ‘a once in a lifetime’ event for so many, that will last in stories for generations.