Written by SSA Youth Influencer Nandi Tshabalala

Today #InternationalDayofFriendship, we celebrate how the human spirit can be uplifted and nurtured through friendship. No matter how tough life gets, having a friend to share it with, makes life a whole lot better! Scouting is known to be a safe place to learn and make friends. Amy, Mbali, and Chloe are all in different Grades at the same Primary School but only became friends in Scouts at the 4th Durban Scout Group.

“Since 2023, we are all in the Springboks Patrol. We have been through many adventurous challenges together. The support we have for each other has strengthened our friendship. In fact our friendship was solidified during my First Class hike,” says Amy. “We really bonded, it was super fun. We got to know each other on a deeper level, and ever since, we have been inseparable. Before every Scout meeting, we greet each other with hugs and engage in endless babbling until we have to fall in.

One unforgettable adventure we had together was the 2024 Troop hike in the Drakensberg Mountains. On the first night of camp, the rain poured so suddenly and heavily that it flooded most of our belongings, including sleeping bags. My tent started floating,” Amy jokes. “We collected all the dry materials we could and shared warmth, snuggling together to get through the cold, damp night.”

“They kept me alive that night, I almost died hahaha,” Mbali adds. “It was a bonding experience so scary at the time that we will never forget it. We were so grateful to have each other and now look back on that memory fondly, laughing together.”

The three words they use to describe their friendship are: “fun, reassuring, and open-minded.”

“In Scouts, we encourage each other to earn more badges and progress in our advancements. Since we are different ages, we offer each other help with activities and planning. Our friendship extends beyond Scout halls. We have met up multiple times, at the mall, gone to the movies, window shopped, swam, lounged on the beach, visited each other’s houses, talked through personal struggles, offered advice about high school, and even went on a weekend trip together. None of my school friends hang out with me outside of school, it’s only you guys,” Mbali says.

“If it hadn’t been for Scouts, I never would’ve talked to them at all. A lot of bad things would’ve happened because my life would have been sad,” Chloe explains. “We believe that Scouts was the perfect environment for our friendships to thrive, as it encourages trust, teamwork, and shared values” they continue.  “Your Scout friends have seen you at your worst, like a crazy difficult hike where you’re sweating buckets and you haven’t showered yet. They have seen you at your worst, so it builds such a genuine friendship,” continues Mbali. “Those are the people who deserve to see you at your best,” Amy adds.

The three Scouts believe their friendship will continue even once they age out because they can create their own adventures outside of Scouts. “We confide in each other,” Chloe says. “So I think our friendship will continue to grow.”

“We really urge other Scouts to form friendships with each other because it makes Scouts more fun and encourages you to push through. “In Grade nine, I was so close to dropping out of Scouts because I was just under so much pressure with academics, sports, and Scouts,” Amy explains. “But every single day, I just think about how grateful I am that I stuck with it because I made such amazing memories. Having the friends I did in Scouts kept me going.”

With this group, it seems they truly resonate with the part of the Scout Law that says, “A scout is a friend to all and a sibling to every other Scout.”