Charitable scout leaders

Over a period of two years, Scout leaders and Scouts from Senlac district transformed a school in Lukotaime in Uganda's Kmuli region from straw huts to brick buildings.

Now Dave Mercer, an Assistant District Commissioner with Senlac Scouts, accompanied by his wife, Sue, and Scout leader Julian Sore from Hampshire have prepared plans for another project -and the fund-raising that will go with it.

On October 9 they will climb the stairs to the top of Hastings Direct's Conquest House headquarters and abseil off the roof - and again and again.

"We are going to cover the equivalent of Mount Elgon, at 4,321 metres it is Uganda's highest mountain," says Dave.

"That 175 climbs and descents...."

He plans to follow that on Sunday, October 16 by competing in the Amsterdam Marathon.

Other fund-raising measures include a calendar featuring Ugandan project pictures.

Thanks to sponsorship, the first 1,000 calendars have already been printed. They can be obtained from Dave at 5 each on 224104.

Why work hard to fly all the way to Africa, live for four weeks under canvas, be bitten by insects and toil under a hot sun?

For Dave, Sue and Julian and the three other Scout leaders and 19 Scouts they plan to take with them such projects are an unforgettable experience.

For the Scouts, it is a learning experience - seeing Third World conditions at first hand, working - and playing - alongside Ugandan Scouts and other volunteers.

When the first project team arrived at Lukotaime they found 500 five to 14 year-olds (free education ends at 14 in Uganda) being taught in three straw shelters.

Two years later, 780 children were being educated in brick-built classrooms with a teachers' accommodation block nearby.

But much more is needed.

"Basically, they are having to turn other children away. They can't fit them all into the facilities.

"Since the end of the project the local government in Kmuli has invited us to come back and do something in another village."

Dave, Sue and Julian flew to Uganda earlier this year to survey the need.

Out of four possible projects they chose Kiseege, also in Kmuli district.

"It was unreal. Three Scouting people from the UK were sitting down and making decisions affecting thousands of children.

"It made us think harder...."

Conditions at Kiseege mirror those found at Lukotaime - three straw shelters in various states of disrepair plus a brick building only partly roofed and with one wall missing.

"It should have been demolished years ago."

Between 300 and 400 children receive schooling there but there are more than 1,000 children living in the area.

The recce party was told bluntly: "If nothing happens the local authority will have to close the school down..."

Dave says confidently: "We will build a government-standard building with three classrooms and offices, a store room and toilets - well 'latrines' really.

"We can only do it because the government there is match-funding another four classrooms and two latrine blocks."

Project work such as this is not only dependent on the generosity of supporters in the UK and the willingness of volunteers to raise 1,400 apiece for travel and subsidence in return for the privilege of working for nothing but enthusiastic local support.

"People out there help.

"Local people dig clay, build kilns near the site and fire their own bricks for the project.

"We will use local labour to lay the foundations and raise the brickwork."

In charge of construction will be a local man called Charlie. Scout funding put him through the local equivalent of a City and Guilds training scheme in brick-laying and building skills.

But Dave says: "Health and safety there is not what it is here and you can't ask Scouts to climb their idea of scaffolding."

But when they have raised the 50,000 the project team plan to fly out next summer and do the plastering, the fitting-out and the decorating.

Fund-raising will be shared between Senlac Scouts and colleague under Julian Sore in Hampshire.

Local Scouts involved include Dave and Sue Mercer's daughter, Louise, together with Sam Turner and Adam Nicholls.