Girl Guides and Girl Scouts celebrate 100 years of changing lives
The WAGGGS is celebrating 100 years of International Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting since 1910 when the first Girl Guide group was started in the UK by Robert and Agnes Baden Powell.
It was a group of girls who first planted the idea of Girl Guiding in the mind of founder, Robert Baden-Powell, more than 100 years ago, in 1909, when they demanded a place for girls at the Crystal Palace Boy Scout Rally. These girls were in fact, the very first advocates – speaking out and challenging the norms and gender conventions of the time. The event marked the start of the Guide Movement.
International Centenary Celebration will focus on changing lives. An estimated 250 million lives have been changed so far through the Movement – through community action, advocacy and leadership development.
About the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
With ten million Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 145 countries, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to girls and young women in the world. It supports girls and young women to develop their full potential as responsible citizens of the world through a well-established, unique, values-based approach to non-formal learning, innovative global programmes and advocacy on issues such as youth participation, HIV and AIDS, environmental sustainability, health and empowerment and equality. The centenary celebrations for international Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting will take place 2010 through 2012.
Kenya Girl Guides Association is privileged to have members who have volunteered and actively participated in the Guide Movement and served in the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in different capacities: The Members are:
- Mrs. Wamuyu Mahinda: Only African Woman serving in the WAGGGS Board.
- Mrs. Rose Kioko: WAGGGS Africa Region, Vice – Chairman
- Mrs. Catherine Nyambala: WAGGGS representative to the United Nations.
- Mrs. Honorine Kiplagat: Former WAGGGS Africa Region Chairman recently,
Awarded WAGGGS Bronze Medal for her dedication
to Guiding.
More recently Kenya Girl Guides Association’s National Trustee, WAGGGS Honorary Associate and OB-PS member Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch, was elected a judge to the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in La Hague last January 2009. She served as a Patron of the Kenya Girl Guides Association (KGGA) from 2000 to 2006 prior to which she was the Chair of the Association for six years.
Other KGGA National Trustee Members include:
Mrs. Honorine Kiplagat
Mrs. Alice Mayaka
Mrs. Evonne Muli
Mrs. D. P Shah
Kenya Girl Guide association (KGGA) is a member organization of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).KGGA is registered by an Act of Parliament (CAP 220 of the laws of Kenya) and has been active in Kenya since 1920, making it one of the country’s oldest youth Associations. KGGA operates through a value based program and has a national membership of over 155, 000 girls representing every race, ethnicity, culture, class and religion in Kenya. KGGA’s mission statement is “To provide opportunity for girls and young women to develop their fullest potential as responsible citizens of the world”
The theme for the WAGGGS Centenary Celebrations is divided into three parts namely:
- 2010-PLANT
- 2011-GROW
- 2012- SHARE
The celebrations will run for 3 years because most Guiding Movements around the world were started between 1910 -1912 therefore, KGGA will be holding several activities to commemorate this event. Even though KGGA is only 90 years, it is indeed fitting to celebrate the first 100 years of guiding with our brothers and sisters around the world keeping in mind Kenya’s privileged position as the resting place for both the Scouting and guiding founders. Among various activities that KGGA has planned to commemorate the Centenary Celebrations are:
KGGA Exhibition at the National Museums of Kenya – Launching on February 18th 2011
The Trefoil Guild International Forum; 7th April – 11 April 2011
KGGA Centenary Camp 2011; 7th April – 9th April 2011
Young Leaders International Camp 2012 – TBC