Girl Guides South Africa empowers girls and women to reach their full potential through a dynamic programme to become the future leaders in their communities. Three courageous Girl Guides South Africa members are on a mission to make a difference in the world.
Olebogenge Bogopane, Evaneline du Toit and Bonolo Mathamelo, are dedicated Girl Guides who embarked on a trip to different countries around Africa, for the ‘Youth Exchange South to South’ (YESS) project.
Mathamelo said that all three of them were selected to embark on a six-month exchange project to increase members in Girl Guides South Africa and raise awareness according to their themes. The themes range from ‘Yes a girl can say no to pregnancies and early marriages’, ‘Yes girls can say no to early marriages and pregnancies’ and ‘Yes a girl can value herself’.
“I travelled to Zambia, Evanegeline went to Tanzania and Olebogenge visited Kenya. We had to increase membership through our different themes. My theme has to do with raising awareness about girls saying no to early marriages and pregnancies. It’s common in Zambia for girls experience these challenges at an early age,” said Mathamelo.
Du Toit said that they faced many challenges in the countries they visited. The common challenge was the lifestyle change they all had to adapt to. Inspite of the challenges they faced, they managed to recruit more members than they were assigned to.
Girl Guide South Africa communication and marketing committee board member, Hilary White said that she is proud of what the girls achieved and believes it is a very special opportunity for them to see other countries.
“These trips are an opportunity for the girls to also inspire their peers to embark on the same journey. Next year, three other Girl Scouts will be selected to visit African countries and recruit more members,” concluded White.
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