One Last Campout

Over the past weekend I went on what will be my last campout with the Escuteiros, and I couldn't have thought of a better way to celebrate the beginning of my last month in Moz. Though there were the usual tiffs and fights that come with taking 14 adolescent boys and girls into the bush, the weekend went great.

Thanks to a generous donation from the local municipal council, most of our food for the camping trip was free, which was a big help to our cash strapped scouts. As salaries typically arrive at the beginning of the month, most of the scout's found it impossible to get money from their parents and guardians, which means that they had to raise the money on their own. But between working as a mota-taxi driver, selling dried fish, carting water, and the other little jobs that they were able to do, everyone contributed somethings. This was especially important for me, as it would have been too easy for me to pay for the whole trip myself (total cost=1200mts or $40) and erase all the hard won sustainability victories that Juvencio and the troop have achieved.

Though the sandy bottom of the campsite made for less
uncomfortable than normal sleeping, I must be getting old
because my back was hurting each morning

Meeting at the school on Friday afternoon with our backpacks full of food, tents, and other equipment, we started our short hike  to the riverside campsite. After the pleasantly short 6km hike to our sandy spot, we setup camp and started preparing our dried fish and rice diner. While I was packing for the trip that morning, I must have been feeling pretty generous because I had included an unopened jar of nuteal among my weekend treats. With the objective of spreading the love with the scouts, I broke out the jar after dinner and told them that I needed the plastic contained empty by the time they went to bed. After approaching the weird brown almost-liquid with apprehension, they quickly dove into the task at hand after a little taste. Bread, rice, spoons, hands, and even fried fish were used to scoop the delicious chocolaty liquid out of the jar, getting it spotless in a mere 15 min. Having accomplished their task, the scouts went to bed satisfied, ready for an exciting day to come.

Juvencio (shirtless bottom left) seemed to think complex
human towers made for more impressive photos. You judge

Saturday started with a little yoga class. For the past month I have been doing morning yoga to get rid of one of my more embarrassing physical traits: inability to touch toes. Since the days of the presidential fitness tests we took in elementary school, I have been embarrassingly inflexible. Though the past few weeks of yoga have eliminated this physical impediment, starting the day with stretching and silent contemplation has become a comforting part of my routine and a slightly uncomfortable night sleeping on the ground wasn't going to change that. Making it all the more fun were the 4 scouts who decided to join me, and silently copied my awkward positions. Hearing them tell the others how they "yogar"ed with me latter on made it all the better. We spent the day lounging about, going on short hikes, swimming, and playing surprisingly competitive games of "keep away" at the nearby swimming hole. Between beautiful weather, fantastic company, and the overall relaxed atmosphere, it is sure to be one of my favorite memories of Mozambique.

Tug-of-war is always an intense event, but having fancy
"Eagle Scout, Be Prepared" pocket knives at stake made
winning all the more important

Once Juvencio was back from his quick foray into town to monitor some tests, the two of us sat down and started planning the much-hyped Competicao das Patrulhas (Patrol Competition). Once it was all ready we got the scouts together, had them organize into their patrols (Wolves, Tigers, and Hares) and got the games under way. For the next few hours the patrols competed in three-legged races, tug-of-wars, treasure hunts, knot-tying, and a scouting quiz to win the grand prize: pocket knives for everyone in the patrol. Arriving a the Fogeira de Conselho (Council Fire) where the winners would be announced, the air was tense with anticipation. In the end, Patrulha Coelho won by 1 point and victoriously claimed their prize. Though there were a few moments of sore-losserness that did not befit the scouting movement, everyone had a lot of fun and the winners are sure to be proud of their hard-won knives.

Passing on the knowledge of how to properly roast a
marshmallow is the sacred duty of every scout, and they've
now paid it forward

Afterwards, we got into the meat of the Fogeira de Conselho, where scouts talked about everything good and bad that happened during the weekend. Once the air had been cleared, I made a heartfelt speech thanking Juvencio and the troop for all the hard work that it had taken to get the Escutieos de Alto Molocue to where they are today. Following me, Juvencio spoke about continuing what we had started in the years to come and the importance of living by the scout law. Hearing Juvencio promise that I  will still find a fun group of people to go camping with in Alto Molocue 30 years from now was the biggest gift I could ever have been given as a volunteer. With our hearts full of love and our eyes ready to bust into tears, we ended our campfire in the overall sweet way all campfires should end: smores. Thinking back to over a year ago when I was laughing with delight as scouts struggled through the word "marshmallow" and fought to keep them from engulfing into flames over the fire, I was proud to seethe older scouts expertly toast their mallows and teach newer scouts how to handle theirs. Sempre Pronto