RUZAIK FAROOK
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association (SLGGA), the largest female youth movement in Sri Lanka is marking 105 years of service to the nation on 21st of March 2022.
The Girl Guides movement was founded by Lord Robert Baden Powell on the 21st of March 1910. Today it is the largest voluntary movement dedicated to empowering girls and young women in the world. With over 152 member countries the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) rallies over 10 million members around the world. Guiding was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1917 by Miss Jenny Calverley, a young teacher from England who joined the school staff of Girls’ High school Kandy where the first Guide Company was formed.
For 105 years Girl Guiding has transformed the lives of girls and young women in the island, supporting and empowering them to achieve their fullest potential and become responsible citizens of the world. SLGGA is able to impact the lives of thousands of girls and young women for 105 years thanks to the hard work of the dedicated volunteers past and present.
To celebrate the occasion of its birthday, the association has organized the Girl Guides Flag Day. The national event will take place at the Prime Minister’s office on the 21st of March. The assistant Chief Commissioner, Commissioner International and Commissioner Communications will present the flag to the Prime Minister. A butterfly, a Little friend, a guide and a ranger, will be present at this occasion.
Ahead of the birthday celebrations a 3 km walk and cycle rally on the theme “breaking the bias” was held on the 20th of March across the 9 provinces of the country. The main event took place at Vihara Maha Devi Park. A street drama and a talk was organized at the Vihara Maha Devi Park to raise awareness on how to create a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination and showcasing the associations commitment to gender equality.
The guest speaker was Ms. Vraie Cally Balthasaar. The birthday celebrations were held on 21st of March at the Sri Lanka Girl Guides Headquarters Colombo 7. The inaugural Jenny Calverley Green Oration was delivered by Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe, Chair professor of English and Senior Professor on the relevance of guiding in the 21st century. The 105th anniversary celebrations will end with an Interfaith programme which will be held at the National Headquarters on the 23rd of March 2022.
