Ready for life
Helping other people is a core value in Scouting. So, when disasters strike, time and time again, we see committed and compassionate Scouts leading relief efforts, putting the skills, resilience and know-how they’ve honed in Scouting into action to serve their communities in need.
Many of these competencies are learned early in Scouting — complex logistics and volunteer management, teamwork, interpersonal communications, and more. Numerous National Scout Organisations have also incorporated training on emergency preparedness and response, dialogue for peace, and support for integration into their educational programmes, especially in countries prone to cyclical natural disasters and with large refugee populations.
Scout-led Humanitarian Action
In 2024, Scouts worldwide responded to devastating flooding and other natural disasters, supporting families displaced by conflict and children who have lived through the trauma of war.
For example, when unprecedented floods struck the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul, Scouts immediately volunteered to coordinate relief efforts and support families who had lost everything. Together, Brazilian Scouts volunteered over 1 million hours of service clearing debris, distributing essential supplies and managing donation centres.
“We cleaned many houses for days, cleaning out the mud. It was exhausting: 12 Scouts and eight hours for each house, but when we saw the homeowners’ faces of gratitude, we realised we were not only moving mud; we were restoring hope.”
The World Scout Foundation joined with World Scouting to support online appeals via the Scout Donation Platform. Your heartfelt and generous donations enabled Scouts to sustain and amplify their support in Brazil, as well as in Bangladesh, Chile, Eastern Europe, Lebanon, Nepal, Palestine, the Philippines, Spain, Sudan, and Yemen. Thank you.
Tailored support from expert volunteers
World Scouting provides support to its 176 National Scout Organisations through its network of trained volunteer Scout consultants, each with extensive expertise in their respective fields, supported thanks to multi-year funding via the World Scout Foundation.
As a volunteer consultant on humanitarian action, Devina Jack Adosi from Tanzania has played a key role in developing humanitarian policies for the Tanzania Scout Association, focusing on strengthening community engagement and resilience. Most recently, she has been involved in capacity-building initiatives to empower young people and vulnerable individuals in deprived communities in Sierra Leone, leading a two-day workshop to develop activity plans for community engagement with 340 young Scouts in Susan’s Bay, a large informal settlement.
“I’ve always been deeply motivated by a desire to make a positive, lasting impact on communities that need it the most. I joined the Scout Life Saving Team, where I had the opportunity to be trained with Navy personnel and even learned how to swim. From there, I became involved in disaster response within my community and region.
I discovered my true humanitarian spirit during a flood disaster when our Scout team went to rescue people. Although our efforts were on a local level, with no resources apart from life jackets, we received support from the regional police office, which provided funds for fuel. I will never forget the officer’s words when I spoke to him over the phone: “I am in a meeting on the same matter, but you Scouts are the first responders in the community. Since the roads are blocked, is there any way I can send money to assist you with the initial rescue?” These words deeply strengthened my humanitarian spirit.”
Amplifying youth voices
As global challenges grow, the importance of well-coordinated, localised, and youth-centred approaches becomes increasingly evident.
In October 2024, World Scouting convened the annual Compact meeting for young people in humanitarian action, bringing together representatives from United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organisations, and national youth-led organisations to redefine how young people contribute to crisis response and resilience building in their communities.
Through this ongoing collaboration, World Scouting aims to ensure that young people are leaders in shaping humanitarian practices.
Humanitarian Action: A funding priority
We express our sincere thanks to Alwaleed Philanthropies for supporting Scout humanitarian action in 2024, including tailored capacity building in National Scout Organisations with the support of World Scouting volunteer consultants, so that even more Scouts are prepared to respond to humanitarian crises safely and effectively.
We also thank every single donor who responded to the many Scout-led appeals throughout the year. Your collective donations make a difference, and are vital to sustain both the immediate and the long-term Scout response.
We continue to seek funding each year to sustain Scout-led action in response to emergencies, including as shared via the Scout Donation Platform. Thank you for your continued support.