Everyone is a potential prisoner! Scouts leader gives hope to inmates during Founder’s Day celebrations

The Uganda Scouts Association has brought hope to prisoners during their 2021 Founder’s Day celebrations.

On February 22, scouts and girl guides all over the world celebrate Founder’s Day, a day which is also the birth date of Robert Baden-Powell and his wife Olave Baden-Powell the founders of scouting.

And in Uganda, scouts reached out to inmates in Soroti main, Mbarara main and Murchison bay prisons where they donated several sports equipment like football gears and Sports jerseys.They also planted trees within the Murchison bay prison among other activities.

During the celebration event which took place at Murchison Bay prison on Monday, Pablo Bashir, the Chief Guest noted that they chose to celebrate this day in prison to motivate inmates not to lose hope for everyone is a potential prisoner, but how they overcome it, is the most important thing.

Pablo, also the Dream Team Uganda Scout Association leader further noted that through dialogue activities with inmates, they are able to rehabilitate and increase the impact of scouting in the country, and believes that the skills shared will help inmates when they get released from prison.

The Africa Scouts committee member and Youth Advisor Anthony Tukudane said that they took this year’s celebration to prisons in appreciation of the fact that anyone can become a prisoner, however they also recognise that there are already members who are imprisoned and they miss out on celebrating special days with fellow scouts.

Cleopatra John, the international relations Uganda Scouts association also noted that they wanted to practice the mainstays of scouting among prisons.

“It is important to encourage people to take small but important steps that will lead to a better life and impact on those around them,” Cleopatra said.

She added that besides the celebrations, the scouts associations always engage in community responsibility activities like cleaning markets, hospitals and visits to remand centres to give prisoners hope, among other things.