This web site is copyright Girlguiding Jersey Registered Charity No: 155
Islands of Girlguiding South West England
Charlotte Anderson (16) recently represented Jersey on a South West Region Girlguiding International trip to Namibia, Africa. This is her account of the trip.
It is very, very hard to sum up my trip in so many little words. In a nutshell Namibia was excitingly amazing with high emotional value to the whole entire team and everybody we had met along the way, a trip of a life time. I think during this trip is the up most importance water has to us, we take it for granted far too much and I for one have been taking shorter showers, turning the tap off when I aim brushing my teeth and simple things like that as I believe it only takes one person to make a difference. What else is really hard is to find one funny incident as on this particular trip there were many – from Trevor getting stuck to people wetting themselves with laughter, to funny quote taking and just the happiness of the group; Overall the best bit, well I yet again have two, it would defiantly be the primary school and the children but also the amazing scenery we encountered every single day, from sunrise to sunset and the stars at night. I really felt I have gained a better sense of self and personal reflection as I now look at life in a different light, changing my attitude towards certain tasks put forward to me.
Going forward from this I hope to stay in touch with every single one of the girls I went away with as extremely strong bonds were made during the course of this trip purely because we were in the middle of the desert, we had no one else to talk to or make you laugh, these people where your rock the whole entire time, without them... I wouldn’t have made it through the trip. Travelling to Namibia with the Girl Guides is an absolute honour. To be representing Girl Guiding in Africa was amazing as they really understood that we were there to help them and nothing else, this wasn’t a holiday, we went to change these peoples life’s, and I think, well I believe that we did. If I was given the chance to do a similar trip, sign me up! I cannot think of a better way to spend my summer and my birthday.
The children we met at the school will see our ‘Hand Print Tree’ every day that they go into school and I don’t think they will easily forget us. I can reassure you, that we will not forget them either.
