Written by Madita, Lisa and Thomas

Source: image supplied.

Maxwell Khumalo is a Rover and the District Commissioner of the Hazy District in Mpumalanga. He hails from Chochocho and loves playing soccer, meeting friends and learning about other people’s cultures. With the Rover Centenary in full swing, we found out how Rovering has impacted his life. 

“I joined the Scouting Movement in 2005 when I was 15 years old. The weekly Scouting programme made me want to be part of the Movement. I continued to do Rovers because I wanted to serve the other Scouts, so that they can benefit from Scouting too”, says Maxwell. “I am part of the regional Rovers”, he adds. 

He has been a Rover now for ten years. “Being a Rover often changes people to become more self-confident. I don’t always rely on people anymore to come up with ideas. I can now openly state my opinion with confidence“, he explains. “I lived my life without worrying about my future. With the guidance and workshops I received through Rovering, I have learned to be more careful when making decisions. Rover camps are great, but Rovering is not all about camps, it is about your everyday life. That is what new Rovers must learn.” 

Being of service is the essential part of Rovering. Maxwell and his Crew have done several service projects in their community. “Rovering is so special to me because it makes me feel responsible by serving other people and the community.  My best experiences have been projects for Mandela Day in the community. We did a project at an Early Childhood Development Center where we made play areas with swings and vegetable gardens. We renovated a centre for people with disabilities, where we painted, made a new ceiling, plastered and installed window glasses”, he says. 

Maxwell is convinced that Rovers are improving their community. “We managed to build play areas for the children in preschool”, he says. “We should always keep being interested in doing projects. Rovers in 100 years time should remember that we always participated.” 

In short, Rovering is for Maxwell a phase in Scouting where you are prepared to render service to the community, the Scouting Movement and most of all to yourself!

#Rovers100 #SARovers