Busiswe Khuzwayo (16), who has been part of the Boksburg Girl Guides since the age of eight, was recently awarded her Chief’s Challenge badge.
This is the highest award that is given in the Girl Guides. Khuzwayo, who lives in Klippoortjie and attends Sunward High Performance School, said the badge represents all her accomplishments.
“I completed my clauses, levels one, two and three and received the top award for organising a ceremony and preparing a PowerPoint presentation. I started as a Brownie and then I was promoted to a Guide, and promoted to a Ranger on November 7.
“The badge has a significant meaning to me. Every time when I will feel exhausted in my new rank as a ranger, I will depend on it to revive my strength. What has kept me a member of the Boksburg Girl Guides throughout these years is the knowledge I gained and the activities we do. My family and friends have also been supportive throughout my journey in the Girl Guides,” said Khuzwayo.
She stated that what she loves about being in the programme is that she has learned how to save people’s lives. Applying first aid and performing CPR are some of the skills she acquired from being in the Girl Guides.
“I have also acquired leadership skills and also learned a lot about myself by being in the programme. I have learned that my personality doesn’t show that I can lead, but when the opportunity arises I step in and I become a good leader. That was proven when I was appointed to be a scholar patrol leader. I successfully did all my duties. My emotional intelligence has also improved since I joined the programme.”
She said that she thinks it is important for every girl child to enrol in the programme because it is empowering.
“I feel inspired and empowered as a girl every day since I joined the Boksburg Girl Guides. Lately, I believe that I can be whatever I want to be. I have removed the word ‘impossible’ from my vocabulary. The difference between the Brownies, Guides and the Ranger is that in the Brownies rank all your activities are preplanned for you, but in your Guide rank you get to decide what to do and an adult leader plans it for you.
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“In the Ranger rank, you decide and plan all activities by yourself and you just have to inform and show evidence of which clauses you have signed up for and you are planning to complete,” explained Khuzwayo.
“My ideal career was to be a lawyer, but along the way, it changed. Now I want to be a forensic scientist. And the career path I want to pursue was inspired by the Boksburg Girl Guides. We learn how to help people in the Girl Guides and that’s what I intend to do in my career path,” she said.
She added that she is not the type of person who has role models. She likes forging her way through life.
Girl Guides needs more young girls to join it. Any parent who wants their girl child to join the Boksburg Girl Guides may call Clair Murphy on 083 380 7419 or Colleen Walker on 082 372 6582.
The Boksburg Girl Guides members meet on Monday nights from 17:30 to 19:30. All the Teddies, Brownies and Guides meet at that time. The Rangers from Boksburg meet with the Germiston Rangers and they have a combined group called the Germburg Ranger crew.
The Rangers meet at the NG Kerk in Lambton (Germiston) on alternative weeks.
Anyone who wants to join Ranger Guides or find out more about Guides, in general, can call Sharon van Gaalen on 084 263 0262 or Sue Vorster on 083 759 5031.
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