New executives for Girl Guides

GHANA Girl Guides Association last Saturday organised an impressive ceremony in Achimota where newly elected officers were commissioned and funds raised for its activities. The theme for the event was “Girls World-wide say, Gender Equality and Women Empowerment”.
The new officers, who were commissioned to steer the affairs of the 90-old-year association for the next three years, were the Chief Commissioner, Mrs Juliana Adade Ofori, the First Deputy Chief Commissioner, Mrs Jane Bour Donkor, the Second Deputy Chief Commissioner, Ms Regina Abba Selby, the International Commissioner, Ms Alice Boateng and the National Treasurer, Ms Cecilia Parker. They were elected during the association’s annual general meeting in November, 2010, but were commissioned on January 8, 2011.
Present at the ceremony were both past and present girl guides from all over the country, invited guests, as well as relations and friends of the guides who contributed to make the event a very interesting one.
Also present were the Omanhene of the Asokore Traditional Area, Nana (Dr) S.K.B Asante, a former President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mrs Elizabeth Villars who was the guest speaker, the President of the Association, Princess Eva Monica Boateng, the Executive Secretary, Mrs Zakyia Wahab, a representative from Nigeria, Madam Muina Bisi Alayiwe and the immediate past Chief Commissioner, Mrs Patience Aniagyei.
The Ghana Girl Guides Association is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts which is made up of 10 million girls and young women in 145 countries in five regions across the world. The African region where the Ghana Girl Guides Association belongs, comprises 500,000 girls in 31 countries.
The mission for the association the world over, is to enable girls and young women develop their potential as responsible citizens. In addition, the association offer girls and young women opportunities for leadership and personal achievement and non-formal education that they may not otherwise receive.
The members work on projects around literacy, peace-building, nutrition, HIV and AIDS prevention, as well as prevention of violence against women and children and as advocates for women’s rights. Many of these projects are in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
In Ghana, the Girl Guides Association works with other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the various UN agencies to promote awareness about international youth programmes, where they are given the opportunity to attend international seminars, conferences and camps.
Guiding can be found in nine regions of Ghana with the exception of the Brong Ahafo Region which the association hopes to establish a branch this year. So far, there are 13,000 members country wide.
After her swearing in, Mrs Adade Ofori praised her predecessors who she indicated, had contributed immensely to the growth of the association over the years and promised to build on their achievements.
She said the association had come a long way over the past 90 years and helped to develop the potential of girls and young women in the society, making them responsible citizens in the society and the world at large.
Touching on the theme, she said “achieving our theme will not be easy, but a Guide has courage and is cheerful in all difficulties. If we persevere and act in unity, we will reach our goal”.
The chief commissioner also urged the girl guides to be at the forefront of social issues concerning women and also support other women to attain high positions in the society.
In her address, Mrs Elizabeth Villars encouraged females to effectively play their role in nation building.
She touched on the theme and said almost all the MDGs affected women in one way or other adding that if women issues were handled properly, nations would achieve many of the targets by 2015.