“I hope you will become stronger and recognise your intrinsic value” – First Lady

First Lady Sandra Granger told members of the Guyana Girl Guides Association that it is her hope for them that they become strong women, who are conscious of their value and self-worth. Granger, who is the patron of the organisation, was at the time speaking at the closing ceremony of a one-week camp and workshop, which were held at the Girl Guide’s Pavilion on Brickdam on Friday evening.
The camp, titled Camp GIRLS, an acronym for “Growing, Inspiring, Reaching, Learning, Sharing,” which was a merger of the Girl Guides National Camp and the ‘Be the Best You’ Workshop, which focused on young girls from the East Coast of Demerara, West Coast of Demerara and Georgetown and exposed them to a wide spectrum of subjects. These included self-esteem and caution in Internet surfing, modern etiquette and dining out, caring for the environment, sports for development, women and work.

The First Lady said the camp is timely as it is geared towards equipping young girls to deal with some of the challenges which they may face. Noting that the world is now much more complex and difficult to negotiate than the one, which she would have been raised in, the First Lady said women must now become stronger and more conscious of their value.
She encouraged the young girls to take note of their conduct as they embark in any chapter of their lives, particularly the world of study and work, so that they gain and maintain the respect of their peers and other members of the society.
One aspect of the camp’s sessions focused on the protection and preservation of the environment, as the country continues to pursue the ‘green’ state development policy. Speaking on this issue, the First lady told the young girls that this is yet another critical area given the current impact of global warming and climate change.
The First Lady also addressed the subject of diet and exercise as she noted that healthy lifestyles are important. With non-communicable diseases being a public health issues in Guyana and the wider Caribbean, Granger urged the girls to make healthy and wise choices, which can give them the best out of life.
The First Lady, who has been working closely with the Women Across Differences (WAD) and other non-governmental organisations and Government agencies to tackle teenage pregnancy, also used the opportunity to speak to the young Guides on the realities of this problem. She urged the girls to make the best of the education they would have received over the past week and to ensure that they use it to make choices for themselves and their future.
Meanwhile, Schemel Patrick, who coordinated the week’s events, said it is an annual event which was merged this year with the ‘Be the Best You’ workshop, aimed at empowering young girls to be the best that they can be.