YESS - The journey to a lifetime experience

My name is Daizzy Mwanza, I am 19 years old and I am from Zambia. I am really grateful for the chance given to me to share about my journey of a lifetime based on the YESS exchange.

This was my first time hearing girl guides go abroad to learn new skills on how guiding is done in different countries. I was very excited when I heard that the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) is looking for African young women to represent their countries in other countries in the programme called Youth Exchange South to South (YESS). I thought this was my chance to represent Zambia Girl Guides Association because I was eager to discover new things and exchange with others what I know.

So, I grabbed my courage and I applied. It was so tricky and scary because it was my first time to apply for leaving the country. I was shortlisted and was invited to pass the interview. I was so nervous, but I responded confidently with so much passion for guiding. After the interview I had to wait for the final decision. A week passed without receiving any message. I started worrying more, but I told myself, “If it is not meant for me I will accept that, but I refuse to believe it!”

It was at night around 08.00 pm when I finally received a text message saying, “Congratulations Daizzy, you have been selected to represent Zambia as a YESS participant for 2017.” I was very happy and thankful to God that I ran to my mother immediately waiving my phone. My mummy asked, “What’s the good news?” I never answered her but showed her the text message while she was still reading the text, she fell in tears of joy because she has been praying for me and she said, “I prayed for you so that Girl Guiding could take you farer than where you are now.” The next morning mummy shared the good news with daddy who also felt proud and happy for me.

Time came, on the 16th January 2017 when I was leaving to represent Zambia in Rwanda for six months. Some Girl Guides and my parents escorted me to the airport like a real ambassador! The farewells were emotional, but I felt love and pride to embark on a new learning journey. Prior flying to Rwanda, I had to stop in Uganda where I had to meet all YESS participants for induction.

The travel to Uganda was one of a kind! It was my very first flight; it was a mixture of joy and anxiety. I thought about things I wanted to explore, how I was going to behave to make my association and family proud and how my housemates will look like. I finally landed in Entebbe the same day and was received by my sisters in Guiding. For a week in Uganda, the participants were trained on different skills such as first aid and shared ideas on ways of approaching each other kindly because we were all from different countries. That’s when I got to meet my housemates to be from Madagascar, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

Came time for me to leave Uganda and travel to Rwanda where I shall spent most of the months of my stay. I left Uganda on the 25th January and I arrived in Rwanda on the 26th January 2017. Arrived in Rwanda at midnight.

So here we are! I am really enjoying my stay in Rwanda. I am discovering the country’s culture and history. I visited many places such as the Kigali Memorial Centre, two different stadiums and many more amazing places.

Association des Guides du Rwanda has taught me to be confident and helped me increase my public speaking skills. I am invited in many events to talk issues that affect girls and young women such menstrual hygiene, gender based violence and body confidence. I am now able to conduct trainings in a more engaging way and got to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals. I am also improving my communication skills because I can engage in conversations with very important people, and I am using social media with purpose. Daizzy is also improving her writing skills especially reports and invitation letters…. official letters! And oh yeah! I am learning French! Je vous envoie plein de bisous!

I am grateful once more for the chance and time given to me to share my experience on the YESS programme. I am looking forward to sharing and applying acquired skills and knowledge once back in Zambia. I want to keep being the voice, for girls and young women. I want to inspire as many girl guides as possible and contribute to the success of SDGs.