Scout Jamboree at cheetah farm

THE fourth bi-annual Namibian Scout Jamboree took place between August 26 and 29 at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) on a farm outside of Otjiwarongo, bringing together 117 young men and women from 12 to 18 years of age to hike, learn survival and life skills, and meet new friends.

The programme was led by 32 Scout leaders and supplemented by CCF staff. Reinwaldt and Vera Doergeloh handled the logistics for the Jamboree. Most Scouts came from the North, and the rest came mostly from Tsumeb and Windhoek. During the four days, the Scouts hiked 30 kilometres between three base camps within the CCF and Waterberg Conservancy farms. At three base camps, the Scouts learned various skills including pioneering techniques, how to tie different knots, how to build viewing towers, and about health and hygiene including first aid and HIV-AIDS. As part of the lessons on survival skills, Scouts also learned about mapping and compass reading, which they put to use during their daily hikes between base camps.At the CCF Centre, the Scouts toured the education centre, learned about CCF research and participated in programmes about conservation and field research of cheetahs. The Scouts watched demonstrations involving radio tracking of the cheetahs and learned about human, wildlife, predator and livestock interactions, and strategies for preventing conflict with predators. ‘It has been a great success, and everyone appreciates all the opportunities that have been provided to the Scouts by CCF,’ said Scout camp director Ellis Muller. The Cheetah Conservation Fund is an organisation dedicated to saving the cheetah and its environment through research, education, and conservation. ‘The exposure these Scouts get to nature is significant. Speaking as a past Scout, a strong relationship with nature helps a person build character,’ said CCF Founder and Executive Director Dr Laurie Marker afterwards.The CCF is a Namibian non-profit trust dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. The Fund’s activities include working actively with Namibian farmers, schools, and communities, as well as conducting international research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, and the human impacts affecting cheetah survival. Scouts of Namibia is part of the worldwide Scouts organisation, which celebrated 100 years of leadership development of young people in 2007. The Scouts’ mission is to make a person better through lessons and training in leadership, personal development and survival skills.