Fifth World Centre Pilot Project hosts workshop in South Africa

The Workshop on Fund Development and Leadership Development at the WAGGGS Fifth World Centre Pilot Project Experience was held at “Khayalami”, the Girl Guides Association of South Africa centre, organised by the Africa Region, from 7 to 14 October 2012.

18 intergenerational participants from Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, one participant from Lebanon and two participants from Ireland arrived on Sunday 7 October and shared their expectations since the first session “getting to know each other and setting the scene” the same day from 8.30 pm to 9.00pm.

During the first three days, from Monday 8 October to Thursday 10 October, participants were busy working on “fund development” with the Resource Alliance facilitators.

They started, on Monday with understanding what Resource Mobilization is, what the trends on Fundraising are, the importance of having good governance, transparency, accountability in the context of resource mobilization. Then continued with the communication, building relationships, techniques of resource mobilization, prospecting variety of options: Institutional Fundraising, corporate, special events and campaigns.

To end this process, participants were guided at the third day on how to develop and implement an effective Resource Mobilisation strategy. To switch into practise, to help understanding more, participants went to visit the “Soul City Institute”,  which objective was to enable participants compare session learning to realities on the ground.

The three last days, werereserved forleadership developmentand succession planning including a visittoone of the Girl Guides of South Africa’s actions in the community, on behalf of the Fifth World Centre Experience Pilot. Participants were challenged to do the SWOT analysis on their actual situation in each topic, understand the tools given to them and plan actions in order to influence and bring positive changes in their association, in their own leadership and in their community by extension.

On 11 October, International Day of the Girl, participants watched together the WAGGGS communication “the world we want for girls”, discussed and promised to participate to the survey organized about this theme before the deadline on 1 November 2012.

In terms of International connection, participants had opportunity to exchange via Skype with participants of Our Cabana event. They introduced themselves first then exchanged about their events, their activities, their feeling and their recommendations and wishes. The happiness and interest were obvious during this communication on the 12 October evening in South Africa and afternoon in Mexico. 9 October was the anniversary of Uganda Independence day, it allowed participant to share together their Joyce and understand more about culture.

This second experience of the Fifth World Centre Pilot Project allowed participants to understand more about its concept, the planned activities, and especially its aim which is “to create an agency of positive change internationally and in their community through Girl Guiding methodologies within an African Context”. 

The  “Khayalami”, the Girl Guides Association of South Africa centre team, composed with staff and Volunteers made the experience wonderful by providing excellent service and hosting facilities, looking after every need of the participants and the facilitators. We commend, the Girl Guides of South Africa, first, on their effort since long time ago of having this centre well managed and functional, second, on their acceptation to host this experience demonstrating that it is possible to hold international event in an existing training Centre in Africa and finally to let participants know and understand their actions in the community, especially the one visited to West Rand School.