WHO WE ARE
The Rwanda Scouts Association is an educational movement for young people, based on voluntary services; it is a Movement, which remains non-political and does include all religions. It is open to all without distinction of gender, origin, race or creed, in accordance with the purpose, principles and scout method as conceived by the Founder, Baden Powell.
In accordance with the Constitution of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM, in acronym) of which it is a member, the Rwanda Scouts Association aims at :
- Helping young people better understand and fulfil their duties towards God, towards others and towards themselves ;
- Promoting in young people the love of their country and the World ;
- Developing a sense of loyalty ;
- Developing the physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual capacities of young people in order to make them useful to themselves and to the community.
The aforementioned objectives reflect the fundamental principles of Scouting and will be achieved through the Scout method as formulated in the Constitution of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Scout educational method is a system of progressive self-education and good manners, based on the following points :
OUR HISTORY
- 1950 : Scouting was first introduced in Rwanda in 1950s by Mr Nyirinkwaya Prosper of Cyangugu from Congo.
- 1966 : The Rwanda Scouts Association was established in 1996.The first Scout units were created at the Groupe Scolaire Officiel of Butare.
- 1967 : First promises in Rwanda are celebrated, meeting of all scouts and election of the first Chief Commisioner Kanyandekwe.
- 1968 : The RSA was recognized by the Rwandan Government in 1968.
- 1975 : The RSA was recognized by the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in 1975 at the World Conference in Copenhagen.
- 1978 : First Rwandan Scout participates in the World Jamboree.
- 1981 : Inauguration of the Scout Training Center in Butare.
- 1982 : 2nd national Jamboree was organized in Huye.
- 1983 : Inauguration of the Scout Training Center in Kigali.
- 1987 : 3rd national Jamboree was organized in Muhanga.
- 1989 : the first World Conference on the Partnership of Scout Organizations of the South and The North was organized in Kigali.
- 2007 : Rwanda Scouts Association hosted the African Scout Conference in Kigali. The topic of the conference was Scouting, an education for a peaceful world, united against violence.
- 2019 : The RSA has 49,367 young people on the rise in Scout units and 3,194 adult managers in supervisory roles.