A trip Radlett resident Sarah will never ‘fur-get’, is one which took place last summer as she joined a Scout volunteering project in Madagascar.
Among several other young volunteers, Sarah travelled to Africa as part of a Scout Association initiative for Network members aged 18 to 25.
The programme brought together 40 participants from across the UK and 35 Malagasy Scouts for a month-long project focused on community engagement, environmental work and cultural exchange.
The group began their trip in Antananarivo, the capital, where they spent time at a local orphanage, and volunteers supported a range of practical tasks, including gardening, painting buildings and helping improve outdoor spaces.
Activities for the children included running games, reading sessions and basic English practice to contribute to the daily life of the centre while giving the young people opportunities to interact with visitors from abroad.
From there, the Scouts travelled to the National Scout Centre, Tranombtzika, to assist with maintenance and development projects on site.
Their main task involved building a basketball court, a project completed jointly by UK and Malagasy participants, alongside other improvements around the centre.
The group visited Andasibe, close to the Mitsinjo rainforest, where they joined conservation efforts led by local guides and organisations and planted native trees in areas where invasive species had taken hold, an effort aimed at restoring habitat essential to the country’s lemur population.
The programme concluded with a closing ceremony at the orphanage and a lunch at the British Ambassador’s residence, and Sarah is now seeking further international Scout opportunities, including applying to join the International Service Team for the 2027 World Scout Jamboree in Poland, while also creating more UK-based opportunities for local Cubs.
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