SVG Girl Guides take part in ‘Free Being Me’ programme in Mexico

A contingent of 28 guides and eight guiders from St Vincent and the Grenadines, will be the first group from the Western Hemisphere to take part in a new Girl Guiding programme: “Free Being Me”.{{more}}

Last Sunday, the guides from the Number 11 Guide Company, which is led by La Toya DeRoche John, left St Vincent to journey to Mexico, where they will visit Our Cabaña, one of the four guiding centres in the world.

According to a press release, “the Number 11 Guides will have the opportunity to share this experience with Guides from the USA, Canada, Mexico and the UK. Every day there will be a new challenge, a new educational experience and a new adventure to discover. From their base, the entire group will visit several cities and towns, among them Cuernavaca – dubbed the “City of Eternal Spring” and Taxco – an ancient silver mining town called the Silver City.”

“The girls will experience team building, learn about Mexico — its culture and language, volunteer in community programmes with different NGOs and take part in service projects in the community as part of the ‘Splash into Spring’ Camp at Our Cabaña,” the release said.

The camp, which will end on April 12, features a number of other activities which include visiting Taxco, an ancient mining town and Xochimilco, a world heritage site.

Additionally, the contingent will have the opportunity to float on “trajineras” – small colourful barges, learn about an ancient way of life and to experience the history of a unique system that may no longer be in existence when they have grandchildren.

As part of the “Free Being Me” programme, which is focused on developing young leaders, the girls will also

engage in community service for the San Vicente de Paul Association.

“This is going to be a life-changing experience for the girls. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Girl Guides

Association and the leaders of the Number 11 Guide Company are extremely grateful to the parents of the

Guides, the business houses and private individuals who helped to make this once-in-a-lifetime trip possible,” the release said.

The “Free Being Me” programme is a collaboration between the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl

Scouts (WAGGGS) and Dove, who are working together to foster a world where young women do not let their perception of how they look hold them back from a successful life. The programme was created by world-leading experts in body image and has been shown to have a lasting impact on girls’ well being.(BK)