Written by former SiS Yeboneer, Sakhi-Khaya Baliso

My name is Sakhi-Khaya Baliso and I live in Langa, in the Western Cape. I was an intern for Scouting-in- Schools in 2019 at Siyabulela Primary School and Thembani Primary School in Langa.

I developed a lot in Scouting, including skills that I have now. I learned how to manage learners in a group. Not actually only learners, also people that is around me. Using the Scout Law 8 “a Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties”. I usually implement the Scout Law when I do something, even if I face challenges I use Law 8.

SCOUTS South Africa changed my life emotionally because after I joined the programme, I can see myself changing towards people.  Changes including my feelings, how to communicate with different characters of people, races, and gender.

In 2021 I was a mentor for Lagunya and had to manage 18 interns alone. They were the same group age and that was not an easy journey. I got a lot of challenges, but I managed it with support from  Yearbeyond and also Mr. Ahmad Solomon .

In 2019 I was studying in my last year at CPUT, and every month I received a small stipend for the Scout programme. But it was not about money, I was doing Scouting with my passion and also looking for room to develop myself, have more skills, knowledge, etc. I did not ask anything from my mother for my graduation ceremony, and used that stipend I got from the Scout programme.

I did my code 14 license with that stipend too. Now I am driving for the Golden Arrow Bus service with my code 14 license.

Scouting is not about the stipend you receive. If you are in that Scouting-in-Schools programme, you develop a lot and you get some other opportunities.