Collen Fhulufhelo Ramuthivheli, a well-known senior scout and member of SCOUTS South Africa, has returned to his hometown, Ha-Maelula, in Nzhelele, to set up scouting camps.
Collen (32) started scouting in Kagiso in Krugersdorp in 1999 and has never looked back since. He says he was lured into scouting by his love of adventure and pioneering.
"During my time as a scout, I had the opportunity to attend and participate in the 21st World Scout Jamboree, which was held in the United Kingdom in 2007. In 2010, I also represented SCOUTS South Africa at the fourth International Scouting Gathering for Scouting and Intellectual Initiatives in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. I was 19 years old at the time. I would like to think that I conquered and changed the thinking of many in Dubai with a programme I presented on 'Dialogue for Young People on HIV and AIDS.' I returned home with a trophy and an award, as I was placed fourth in the category for micro projects, presented by representatives from 78 countries, and with 123 participants in attendance. In May of the same year, I joined the International Camp Staff Programme in the USA, in which I served as a staff member at Philmont Camp for three months," he said.
As a scouter, Collen has seen many young people grow into adults who are not only building their own successful futures but also giving back to their communities in ways only scouts can.
"I am keen to start a scout group where young people between the ages of 11 and 26 can be absorbed into the Scout Programme offered by SCOUTS South Africa. The aim is to introduce one unit at first as a build-up into a scout group with all units. I would start with a scout troop for young people between the ages of 11 and 17 years and later incorporate a Rover crew for young adults between 18 and 26, so the scouts would be able to continue their journey as Rovers," he said.
Collen invites parents and community leaders in the Nzhelele community to come together to build a scout group where their children can change their lives for the better and where adults can gain skills to help them in their work environment, as well as make lifelong friends themselves.
For more information, send Collen an email to fhulu.collen@gmail.com.