Brigades Embu Exchange (BEE)
BEE is a bold and exciting venture that the young people of our Brigade companies worked on for several years. We thank you if you were onr of the project's supporters.
It took four years of planning and fundraising to realise the dream of a visit between the Boys' and Girls' Brigades in Sleaford and those in the Embu district of Kenya. The two visits that members of our Brigade companies made provided opportunities to the young people that would otherwise be unattainable. They were opportunities that educated, enthused and broaden their horizons as they meet youngsters from the same organisation, yet from a completely different country, climate and culture.
Sadly, this project never became a true exchange programme. In both 2004 and 2005, a small group of Kenyan Brigades members and their officers travelled several hours to apply for visitors' visas at the British High Commission in Kenya. They also had to pay a signficant amount of money to make the applications. On both occasions, they were refused the visas, and so were not allowed to travel to Britain. The fees they paid were not refundable.
The good news that came out of this was that a second trip from Sleaford was arranged, with two of our officers using part of the time to train the Kenyan officers, whilst our young people and the other accompanying adults experienced more of Kenyan life.
This second trip still left some money in the BEE fund, which has been used to fund a Training Officer for the Kenyans.
In April 2003, 5 young people and their leaders flew out to Kenya for 11 days. A report on the trip is here
All of this was amde possible through generous giving and through a number of fund raising events carried out by the young people who went to Kenya, including a car wash, a quiz, a sponsored water carry through the town, and climbing Mt Kenya!
The Sleaford Standard also covered the event and gave us front
page coverage - see their report here.
Links:
Background to the project
Boys' Brigade
Girls' Brigade
Brigades Band.