Zimbabwe

Promise:

Girl Guide Promise

I promise that I will do my best:
To do my duty to God,
To serve my country and other people,
And to keep the Guide Law.

Brownie Promise

I promise that I will do my best:
To do my duty to God,
To serve my country and other people,
And to keep the Brownie Law.

Sunbeam Promise

I promise to care and to share.

Law:

Girl Guide Law

1 A Guide is loyal and can be trusted.

2 A Guide is helpful.

3 A Guide is polite and considerate.

4 A Guide is friendly and a sister to all Guides.

5 A Guide is kind to animals and respects all living things.

6 A Guide is obedient.

7 A Guide has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties.

8 A Guide makes good use of her time.

9 A Guide takes care of her possessions and those of other people.

10 A Guide is self-controlled in all she says, thinks and does.

Brownie Law

A Brownie is truthful, obedient and cheerful.
A Brownie thinks of others before herself.

Motto:

Girl Guide Motto - Be Prepared

Ranger Motto - Look Wide

Brownie Motto - Lend a Hand

Sunbeam Motto - Sunbeams always try

Age groups:

Ranger 14-20

Guide 10-17

Brownie 7-11

Sunbeam 5-7

Development of the movement:

Guiding in Zimbabwe began in 1912. In 1926 the Wayfarers, an organization for African girls working along similar lines to the Guide Movement, was started. In 1940 the two Movements began to merge, and this process was completed in 1950.

The name of the Association was changed in 1981 from the Girl Guides Association of Rhodesia to the Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe.

Programme:

Zimbabwe uses an eight-point programme based on keeping fit, becoming a homemaker, giving service, keeping the Guide Law, getting to know people, enjoying the outdoors, thinking for yourself and exploring the arts. Particular emphasis is placed on keeping the Ranger programme relevant to the needs of today’s girl.

Young adults have taken a centre stage as they have become active members of the Association and are well incorporated into the Association and being well groomed for succession planning.

Relationship to society:

The Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe recognizes the need for community service. Brownies, Guides, Rangers and Young Leaders participated in the Literacy Plus Campaign for International Literacy Year in 1990. As a follow up, Rangers run literacy classes for adults, and have given regular service at orphanages and homes for deaf and blind children for many years.

Mount Avon District, Harare, was granted the WAGGGS Olave Award in 1998, for work and support for a rural community (Chivi). A feeding scheme was initiated in 1992 and has carried on each year. Clothing, books, Guiding uniforms and Guide literature have been sent.

In 1995 the Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe participated in the WAGGGS Peace Packs Project, resulting in 120 Peace Packs which were handed over to UNHCR for distribution amongst urban refugees, most of whom were from Rwanda and Somalia.

Following the Youth Service Team Project on working with refugees held in Kenya in 1995, two young adults who participated in the project later submitted a project proposal to WAGGGS on behalf of the Association. The Poultry Project for a group of displaced women living in a squatter camp was granted and started in 1996. The results of the project included an increase of self-worth in the women, improvement in the standard of living in the community, acquiring of life-skills including functional literacy by the women, as well as the starting of a Guide unit in the camp.

Community awareness continued as leaders and Guides visit orphans especially Chinyaradzo Children’s Home where Guiders go in to do counseling to the AIDS orphans on a regular basis. This is an ongoing project started in 2007 and is extending to other orphanages.

The Association owns two national training and camping centres.  Pax Park near Harare and Ian Munro in Harare

Communication and Co-operation

Representatives from the Association attend events abroad whenever possible, and the Post Box links members with their counterparts throughout the world.

The Association participates in many national events and makes its work known through the media and its periodical, News and Views. Guiding in Zimbabwe will celebrate 100 years in 2012.

Training:

The Association continues to maintain a high level of leadership as well as increase the number of Adult Leaders, through training. The training programme is updated as an ongoing process. This has resulted in the introduction of Skills Levels, in an effort to keep Adult Leaders motivated to increase their Guiding skills, as well as improve their local and international knowledge on the Movement.  The revised training scheme was accredited by WAGGGS in 2004.

Outdoor and Environmental Activities

The Association owns two national training and camping centres, Pax Park near Harare and Rowallan Park in the Matopo Hills near Bulawayo.

Guides are also dedicated to the protection of the environment, and participate in tree-planting campaigns.

The ‘We Care!’ Zimbabwe programme consists of An Environmental Resource Book for Teachers and Youth Leaders and An Environmental Activities Book for Young People. This adaptation for Zimbabwe has been the result of a co-operative effort between the Curriculum Development Unit, Ministry of Education, and the Girl Guides Association of Zimbabwe.

The overall aim of the programme is to encourage the development of environmental awareness, values, commitment, personal involvement, and caring attitudes for the environment among children and youth.

The initial print run in 1997 was sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and will be used by the formal education sector as well as NGOs with youth environmental education in their programmes. It covers a wide range of topics relating to flora, fauna and natural resources, with warnings of abuse and recommendations for preservation.

The object is to increase environmental knowledge and awareness, and to develop positive and caring attitudes.

Projects

• Bpac Zimbabwe
• 217 Recruitment and Retention
• Child Feeding Project
• Street Girls Project