Ambassador Charamba welcomes Zim representative at Girl Guides Association of Zambia
On 25 January 2024, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Zambia, Her Excellency, Mrs Charity Charamba received a delegation from the Girl Guides Association of Zambia (GGAZ) led by the Provincial Commissioner, Mrs Grace Malata Agalasia who came to introduce Ms Ruvimbo Mangoma, a young Zimbabwean girl who came to Zambia on a student exchange programme under the Girl Guides Association.
Ruvimbo is an 18-year-old girl who wrote her A Level in 2023 at Kriste Mambo Secondary School in Rusape and passed with flying colours.
She intends to enrol at University of Zimbabwe or NUST studying Medicine or Pharmacy. A Ugandan girl guide named Juliet Olga Nanduga was part of the delegation that visited the Embassy.
She outlined her experience as a girl guide from Uganda. She highlighted that the Curriculum in Uganda includes a General Paper which aims to equip students with general knowledge.
The General Paper is a pre-requisite subject for one to proceed to University.
Whilst in Zambia, Ruvimbo will have an opportunity to motivate and encourage other young girls to take up science related subjects in school thereby de-mystifying myths about science being a boys’ subject.
She will also get the opportunity to visit other places in Zambia such as Livingstone, Siavonga and network with participants from other countries.
The Girl Guide Association is a mentorship programme targeted at empowering women from a very young age. It equips participants with lifesaving skills and instils discipline in young girls as well as mentoring them to be good advocates and confident leaders.
It also helps in keeping youngsters from drug and alcohol abuse. The participants for the youth exchange programme are drawn from various countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Rwanda, Madagascar, Bangladesh and Nepal among other countries.
The programme which runs for 6 months is important because it facilitates cultural exchanges and exposes participants to new places.
The mother body is the World Association of Girl Guides and Girls Scouts based in the United Kingdom.
Ambassador Charamba expressed hope that schools in Zimbabwe would continue encouraging young girls to join the girl guides.
