Going to Namibia the first time

Summer 2011, 30 Explorers, 9 young leaders and 3 adult leaders. They went to Namibia for two projects.

The first project, the big one, was in a remote village in Tsintsabis. The locals in this village are known as the San Bushmen. The Hatters were joined by a local scout group from Tsintsabis,  and they were there to help the San Bushmen start their first scout group.

The Hatters’ role was to plant 200 orange trees, which involved digging 200 holes, sorting the water system to water the trees and sort parts of the fencing so the trees could be protected. This was six days of hard work for the Explorers.

The next project took place at Etosha National Park, helping the park rangers build a water hole, while working next to some of the most amazing creatures and wildlife. This project took 5 days to complete.

 Andrea Sanderson 

“The children also were very interested in our group, and many of the Explorers spent time with the children, who attended the local primary school, exchanging songs and playing games. It was amazing over the next few days to hear the children singing ‘Bingo’ or ‘Old MacDonald’ and seeing how much they enjoyed spending time with some of the Explorers.”

Hannah Broderick

” Once we had got down to work it was interrupted by an incredible goodbye from our new friends from Tsumeb and Tsinstabis as work/school resumed on Monday. We were treated that evening by being allowed to see a ‘Witch Doctor’ at work, healing two men who could not sleep due to stomach pains. This was significant; we were only allowed to watch because, in their words, we ‘brought hope’.”

Rachel Ingle

“The one thing that will always stay in my mind from this trip is the look on the faces from people in the community. I have never experienced so many people clapping, waving and cheering. We were told by a group of people “we bring hope.” I never thought that planting orange trees would be that amazing. It is once you are there and a part of it you realize what you are doing for these people.”

Ben Kruczyk

“The whole trip was an incredible opportunity that The Hatter’s Explorer Scout Unit grabbed by the horns. Everyone threw themselves at the challenges we faced and in doing so we made some brilliant friends out there. The whole unit became stronger, what started off in London as small individual groups within the unit became a single independent group who all get along brilliantly. The differences we made out in Namibia are something we can all be immensely proud of and something we can look back upon with pride.”