About GOLD

 

 

What is GOLD?

GOLD stands for Guiding Overseas Linked with Development and is an international development initiative started by Girlguiding in the UK.  GOLD has been running since 1991 and has visited 31 countries worldwide.  Projects are initiated when a Guiding Association abroad makes a request to Girlguiding, usually through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) or at World Conferences.   

The GOLD model strives for sustainability: projects usually last 3-5 years, with a different team from the UK participating each year, visiting the host country for 3-4 weeks.  Teams are selected over a weekend in September, and comprise six adult leaders, aged 18-30, from around the UK.

Projects vary from country to country, and can involve English language teaching, leadership development, recruitment and PR and environmental initiatives.  A real strength of the GOLD model is that the specific aims of the project are set with the partner Association, according to what they want to achieve.

The Cambodia Project

 

Guiding was banned in Cambodia upon the arrival of independence, the Khmer Republic and the Vietnamese Occupation.  In 1996 guiding was re-established by Mrs Leang Meng Ho, the Director of the Cambodian Institute of Human Rights, along with 16 university students. Since then it has strengthened, with the Guides Association of Cambodia becoming a member of WAGGGS in 1991. 

The Association now has nearly 4000 registered members, ranging from Dragonflies (aged 7-10) to Rangers (15-18).  The Cambodian Association is small compared to the UK organisation, which has some 550,000 members, but it is still early days. Hopefully the partnership through GOLD can contribute to the growth and development of guiding in Cambodia!

The Cambodia GOLD project is in its second year, and we will be continuing the hard work of last year’s team.  The project's focus is on teaching English and working on leadership development.  We will be spending a week at the guiding HQ in Phnom Penh facilitating a series of sessions aimed at helping leaders with the running and management of their units.  After this, we’ll spend two weeks in two provinces, Kampong Speu and Kampot, teaching basic English to younger guiding members.

We are all very excited to get stuck in on project, hopefully being able to share some of the knowledge and skills we’ve gained through our time in guiding, as well as learning from our partners in Cambodia, being able to bring home a taste of guiding and life overseas to our own units in the UK.