After all of the frivolities and excesses of the festive season Mafeking are starting the year a little bit more down to earth.

The global issues activity badge provides the Explorers with the opportunity to learn about youth issues around the world, and last night we kicked that off by learning about the opportunities and the restrictions placed on the young people in North Korea, Japan, South Africa and Thailand. The Explorers were also asked to find an interesting fact about the country that they were researching; my favourite was that in Thailand it is illegal to use a Durian fruit as a weapon and you get fined per puncture wound. So now you know!

Over the coming weeks the Explorers will also learn how it feels to live off £2 per day. For a bunch of ever-hungry teenagers this will be quite a challenge. They will be making video logs of their experience.

In addition to learning about poverty, we will also be learning about homeless with a visit to a local charity. More about that in future posts.