News
02/04/2008
Inner city Scouts begin Nepalese adventure
Inner city Scouts head to Nepal
Scouts from inner city Lewisham North, South London, have just embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. They will combine a three week expedition to Nepal with a community project to enhance the living conditions of Nepalese children.
A party of 36 Scouts and Leaders from Lewisham, Lee, Blackheath and Eltham flew out to Kathmandu last Sunday. They have since split up into two expedition groups. Scouts aged 17 and older are undertaking a 16 day trek to Everest Base Camp, 5,500 metres above sea level.
The young people under 16 are trekking to Annapurna Base Camp, at 4,500 metres above sea level. Along the way they will take part in a jungle safari on elephants and two days white water rafting whilst camping out on the banks of the River Seti.
Once they have completed their challenges, both teams will return to Kathmandu to take part in an amazing community project designed to help improve the lives of local children.
They will also be handing over a large selection of children’s books, courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum, which will be used to stock Kathmandu Children’s Library.
Their final gift will be to donate children’s clothes to a local Nepalese based charity 'Education, Protection and Help for Children'.
Expedition Leader, Matt Hone, a Scout Leader in Lewisham said: ‘The Scouts have been working hard for two years, not only fundraising for themselves, but also for the local young people. They will learn that state education for young people in Nepal ends when they are just seven years old.’
Explorer Scout Thriza Legg, 17, was particularly excited about the international trip. She said: ‘This is going to be a huge adventure for me. Being a Scout has given me this opportunity of going to the other side of the world to have a great time and help children less fortunate than me’.
The Scouts will be handing over the results of a two year fundraising campaign, following a similar expedition which took place in 2006, where Lewisham Scout families helped to set up a sponsorship campaign for local children. This is the video of their time there:
Please note: This video is taken from YouTube, an external site that The Scout Association has no control over.
For more information on the trip or to follow their adventures in Nepal visit www.nepal2008.co.uk
