Azerbaijan: Scouts Teach Disadvantaged Young People
Currently, around 41 million children and young people worldwide belong to the scout movement. There is even a scout group in the extreme north of Azerbaijan, in the Zagatala region. Scouts do a great deal of good, especially for children and young people, and in keeping with that tradition the Zagatala scouts came up with the idea of giving young people in the area something meaningful to do in their spare time. The scouts decided to help disadvantaged young people to come to grips with computers and a foreign language: English. In order for this to happen, a suitable classroom needed to be found and equipped.
With a donation of € 5,440 from GFA BRIDGES, the scout group was able to renovate a classroom and purchase furniture, internet-enabled computers and teaching materials. The scouts contacted volunteers from the American Peace Corps for help with the project, and they can now provide a group of around 30 young people with regular lessons in English. The scout leaders provide the computer lessons on a voluntary basis. This helps local young people not only to build up their skills, but introduces them into an international social community.