One of the promises all Scouts make when they are first enrolled into the Scouting movement is to help other people. Over the last three months about 80 British Groups Abroad Scouts in Muscat, aged between 6 and 16, based at the British School Muscat, have done exactly this by raising 1733.000 rials for the National Association for Handicapped Children’s centre in Azaiba.

The children at the handicapped centre are a mixture of severely physically handicapped, mentally handicapped, physically and mentally handicapped as well as children with varying degrees of autism. The centre was quite badly damaged during Cyclone Gonu, with the total loss of 800 square metres of shaded outside play area. New net shading has kindly been donated by Nafal Contracting & Trading and is being installed so the children can now play outside for the first time since last June.



New and updated specialist therapy and physiotherapy equipment is also required to provide the children with greater mobility and dexterity. The money the Scouts presented to the centre on Tuesday 22nd April will go a long way to ensure that the handicapped children in Azaiba have some of the best facilities available in Oman.

As part of the Scout's Community Challenge, the older Scouts have also been visiting and helping at the centre over the last few weeks. The Scouts joined in with singing and games and even run games and songs for the handicapped children, which they all (including the centre’s staff!) really enjoyed. The handicapped kids and carers really appreciated the Scout’s participation and although hesitant at first, the British Scouts soon got into the spirit of things!

The Scouts were made to feel very welcome. The handicapped children put on a special assembly for the Scouts, who were serenaded with traditional Omani children's songs as well as a simple English song that they had learnt especially. The Scouts were given tours of the association; visited the special classrooms; played games, drew pictures and distributed sweets to the handicapped children.



The degrees of disability and the challenges that carers face when looking after handicapped children were explained allowing the Scouts to appreciate the very real problems faced by mentally and physically handicapped people in every day life.

The Scouts were very deeply moved by the simple love, affection and friendship that these children gave to them. As they have promised, the Scouts have done their best to help these disadvantaged children over the last few months and have found it a very happy, humbling and thought-provoking experience. They are looking forward to a continuing friendship with the centre.

More pictures in our photograph gallery.