The Girl Guides in the Helderberg are reaching out to adult volunteers for assistance as they are set to rise like a phoenix from their Covid-19 ashes.
Girl Guides is a worldwide youth organisation that focuses on providing young women with necessary skills and values for the future.
“We strive to instill confidence in girls so they can become well-rounded, good citizens,” said Cathy Hannay, who has proudly been donning the uniform for the past 35 years and believes that guiding is a way of life.
Guiding starts at the age of four when girls are Teddies. They then graduate to Brownies at the age of eight. At 11, they become Guides before moving on to being Rangers at age 14, continuing until they are 18. The girls are taught age-appropriate skills, from stranger danger for the younger girls to more complex topics such as drug awareness for the Rangers. Once they master these skills, the girls are awarded badges.
Success is important to Hannay, as she is aware of the social ills that a young Helderberger can be subjected to, such as drugs, alcohol abuse, and gender-based violence, which are extremely prevalent in the area.
“Girls are targeted because they are seen as the weaker sex. We teach them that they are not weak by building up their self-confidence,” said Hannay, the Trefoil Guild (a branch of the Girls Guides South Africa) mother hen.
The Helderberg was once home to a thriving Girl Guides Guild, but crippling pandemic times saw membership dwindle.
However, the Trefoil Guild is back with a bang. Their numbers are expanding, but as they increase, they need adult assistance to keep up with the guides.
The veteran guider, Hannay, is inviting anyone interested in making a difference in a young girl’s life to step forward.
“A lot of people say they’re busy, and I accept that, but I was a guide mentor throughout my teaching career because it’s important to give back to the community,” said the retired teacher.
By guiding the girls, Hannay believes you are investing in the future, as many of the skills acquired at the Girl Guides are ploughed back into the community, with many of her past guides going on to be lawyers and doctors.
- If you would like to sign up your daughter to be a part of the guides or would like to volunteer your time to contribute to the future pillars of the Helderberg, or if you simply want more information about Girl Guides, phone Hannay on 083 441 0067.
