UK Uganda Network - Uganda 2000 - Jinja District's involvement in Uganda 2000

Jinja District

The Avonja Story | The UK Contingent at Jinja
Progress at Jinja | Photographs of progress at Jinja

Although not on of "The Ten Districts" Jinja has for a decade been the focus in Uganda of the Scouts in Avon County. In the early 90s local Leaders Mike Bell, Colin Bennett, Nick Winter and Dave Thomas embarked upon an ambitious building scheme on the banks of the River Nile at Jinja. The project became known as Avonja

Land dedicated for Scouts during British Rule was visited by the Queen in the 60s and is once again the active centre for Scouting in the Jinja District.

Criticised by some for being too amitious, the building project slowly grew from footings to floor level, wall height, roof trusses and then making it water tight. In fact the building project was simply a vehicle for friendship and working with local Scouts.

The rest of the site has not been neglected with toilets, showers, cooking facilities, and terraced camping which would be the pride of most camp sites in the UK.

But Scouting in Uganda stretches far beyond just camping and involves education for life projects in which the Scouts and Leaders in Avon have been playing a leading part.

The Jinja Camp Site at Buwende is open to the Scouts of the World and will be used during the first two days of the visit in August 2000 as a contingent base.