Dear Editor:
At the beginning of the Girl Guide year, the First Ponoka Pathfinders and Rangers were challenged to come up with a service project to help others. They decided that they would like to participate in a 30-Hour Famine to help raise money for the Canadian World Friendship Fund (CWFF). On March 22 and 23, six of these girls did just that.
Through CWFF, Girl Guides of Canada is able to support World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) projects such as the World Centres and the World Thinking Day Fund. They also provide mutual aid for Guiding projects in developing countries that are designed to improve the lives of girls and young women and their communities. Contributions to the CWFF also support Canadian girls and women in need or attending international events.
What does all that mean? Well, one of the Rangers said: “CWFF collects money for programs, activities and events for girls and women. It also supports international service projects and helps girls all over the world.”
When asked why the girls were participating in the Famine, they were quoted as saying: ”I feel like we could really make a difference for others.” “The famine helped me realize that I shouldn’t waste food and that there are places in the world that need more help than others.” “It feels nice to help others who are less fortunate than I am. I believe people everywhere deserve a chance to live like we do or at least better than they are right now.”
Before the girls collected their pledges, they were asked to research CWFF and WAGGGS so that they could fully understand what they were raising this money for. Through the famine, the girls were able to raise a total of $270.
I would like to thank not only my Pathfinders and Rangers but also the Ponoka Scouts for the use of the Scout Hall and to Ina Hart who didn’t realize until after she agreed to help me that I wasn’t going to feed her at this “camp.”
Makes me proud to be a Girl Guide leader.
Linda Davis