Royal Lifesaving Society Presents Water Safety for the Participants During Scouts Camp in the Kaazi

The celebration was to mark the 100 years of scouting in Uganda, which was introduced in 1915 by Rev. Canon H.M Grace at Mbarara high school. The event brought over 15.000 scouts from Tanzania, United Kingdom, Kenya, Burundi, Southern Sudan, Libya, Uruguay, and DRC, and Scouts leaders and staffs from over 160 countries.

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The camping took place from 18th to 28th August 2015 at Kaazi National Camping sites by the Lake Victoria. The camping was part of a series of activities that graced the celebration.

The opening of the camp took place on 20th August 2015 and was graced by his Excellency President, Yoweri Museveni.

One of the elderly scouts from Uganda, Mr Ogwal Fenekasi, told the Royal Life Saving Society Uganda Volunteers his experience when he went to attend the World Jubilee Jamboree in Britain in 1957. With 26 others from Uganda they went up to Wales, where they saw a hill called Lundano, which according to him, meant “Landed No” and that it was linked to Noah’s Ark.

Various activities took place at the event and the mandate of Royal Life Saving Society Uganda presented a Water Safety presentation to the scouts. Its team was also part of the rescue team.

The Royal Life Society Uganda Volunteers presented next to the Water Safety presentation, CPR and Basic First Aids to the participants from 20th to 26th August 2015; mostly in the tent that was given for the various activities. The scouts came in phases. Also during the talent show, there were many scouts present. During these days, the volunteers slept in 3 small tents, that were given to them from the tents for the Uganda scouts.

Many of the participants gave their experiences related to drowning. A scout leader from Iganga Uganda gave a scenario, where someone was drowning and he was the only one in the area. Since he never knew any water safety knowledge, he threw a stick, but, unfortunately, it could not rescue the victim. The victim died.

Meanwhile a scout from Rwanda gave a testimony, where he was almost taken by a river current, but was rescued by his friends using a cows rope.

Because the swimming pool, that was constructed, was not yet in use, the Royal Life Saving Society members went to Lake Victoria near the camp to do risk assessment. David used to train the scouts here. But due to rise in tide, the place had become risky and it was not safe to do training in swimming and water safety practice. All practices were done on dry land.

Many of the scouts and scouts leader appreciated the water safety and those in Uganda have requested Royal Life Saving Society Uganda to go and train their scouts in their districts; especially those living nearby water bodies. Because the training was done by Volunteers, they have being informed to raise transport by public means, because fuel will be expensive, next to arranging refreshments and accommodation for the volunteers, if they are to go to these districts.

The closing date of the camp took place on 26th August 2015 by the Prime Minister, Ruhakana Rugunda. Meanwhile the other activities continued by the Royal Life Saving Society.

Written by Austin Andemani - Royal Life Saving Society Uganda - 28th August 2015