Today is the UN International Day of the Girl Child. Grade 5 Silukhanyo Primary School learner Nicole Dambakurima is a second generation Scouting member. She joined the Scouting-in-Schools programme earlier this year at the encouragement of her father Kenesias, who was a Scout in Zimbabwe when he was young. Nicole lives in the disadvantaged community of Zola in Strand in the Western Cape.
“My father taught me that I need to keep my environment and our animals safe. He took us to the beach to clean up and helped us plant trees. I saw what a difference that makes. When I heard about Cubbing he encouraged me to join. I have learnt that I can save the animals in the sea by keeping my environment clean. People here don’t care and they have destroyed mother earth. We are a new generation and it’s up to us to save mother earth and so I must clean up my yard and our street. Also making Eco bricks helps. Today at our Cub meeting I got to make my own Eco brick and I’m very happy about it!”
“Cubbing also helps me with my school work, especially with natural science and English. I had a test and I was able to answer the questions correctly because I understood it better. We had also done activities about the environment in Cubs and so when my teacher taught us about it, I knew it already. I’ve also learnt what to do when there is a fire. I know I must not panic and get out and get help”, she says confidently.
Seeing Nicole excel at school has inspired her friends and their parents to consider Scouting. “I invited three of my friends to join Cubs and they did. One of the parents let her daughter join so her English could also get better.”
“One day when I am an old lady I will tell my grandchildren that I wouldn’t be a millionaire if it wasn’t for Scouts! I am going to be an artist and a scientist. I am going to invent a special pen for my mom. It will be a pen that writes what she says. I will also invent a door that will allow people to walk through it and be in another place. So if I want to go to the mall or I want to go to Zimbabwe, I would just walk through the door,” she grins. “I keep all these ideas in my head as there is no paper for me to write on at home.”
Nicole lives and breathes Cubbing! “Cubs is really amazing and crazy fun! I can share life experiences with my friends and my dad is very proud of me!”
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