CAPE TOWN – A young scout from Marina de Gama is hoping his fundraiser can spread some Christmas cheer for the less fortunate.
Sebastian Rouse is a member of the 1st Muizenberg Sea Scouts and is running a Santa Shoebox Project for disadvantaged children in the Southern Suburbs.
He is collecting items to fill shoeboxes which includes toys, balls, frisbees, jump ropes, craft kits and school stationery. Rouse is also a Grade 9 learner at IVA Global Online School, which is an international online school.
He is planning to donate the Christmas boxes towards the Where Rainbows Meet organisation next month.
Where Rainbows Meet is a non-profit organisation (NPO) that believes in holistic community development by achieving social, economic and health improvements within the community of Vrygrond.
Rouse says his cause was inspired by the lessons of leadership he learnt in the Scouts. He first joined Scouts at the age of seven, where he was a cub for four years.
“Scouts is a part of my daily life. It has taught me life skills, to do my duty to help other people, and leadership skills. “Scouting has helped shape my values and community involvement by teaching me that it is important to give back to the community and help those in need. “With every scout advancement we have community service projects that we must either help with or organise,” he said.
ALSO READ: Cape Town scout organizes Christmas raffle for sick youth.
Before his latest fundraiser he assisted Where Rainbows Meet food drive and vegetable garden, he taught sailing to children living in Westlake, planted a food garden in Mitchells Plain and fed homeless residents in Muizenberg.
“I have been involved in Where Rainbows Meet and feel that Christmas is a special time for children and want to make it special for them, especially for those that do not have. My target is to make as many Santa Shoeboxes as possible and then to go have a little celebration with the children,” he said.
When asked what the biggest challenges with his fundraiser is, he said “getting people to donate in these difficult times”.
To create the Santa Shoeboxes Rouse is collecting, packing and wrapping the boxes with younger scouts, until they visit Where Rainbows Meet to hand over and visit them and have a little Christmas party.
He has already received 20 toothpastes from his Orthodontist.
The fundraiser will continue running for the next four weeks.
The boxes will also include colouring books, puzzles and stickers.
For details contact Sam Rouse on 083 415 7868.
You must be logged in to post a comment.