PAKISTANI GUIDES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 2

PAKISTANI GUIDES

Centenary Badge Qualifications

By educating illiterate adults and teaching health rules in rural homes Girl Guides in Pakistan are qualifying for a special centenary badge and marking, in a fitting manner, the centenary of the founder of the Scout movement, Lord Baden-Powell. The Begum Aga Khan, Chief Commissioner of the Pakistan Girl Guides’ Association and Minister of Social Welfare in West Pakistan, writes that this movement in Pakistan is strong, well established, well-organised and fully recognised. All Girl Guides, guiders and members of local associations who educate an illiterate adult will qualify for the special badge. The newly-literate person would receive a certificate from the Pakistan Girl Guides’ Association after a test.

For rural areas there is an alternatively centenary health badge for those who have gone into rural homes for three months teaching the women health rules and their practical application. | Six adult education centres have been opened in Karachi, as part of the effort. Women belonging to local associations of the Girl Guides may take short training i courses in social service work so, that they may undertake definite projects of work useful to the community. When they have; made a definite contribution to; the community in the form of 1 social work the women will wear! a special emblem of the association. Extension Efforts Every effort was being made to extend the work to village areas. In addition, rangering had been introduced in women’s colleges. “We are trying to start our work in slum areas also. The first experiment was tried at Karachi in Lyari Quarters. Our local guide adviser, Miss Naseem Qureshi, joined hands with social welfare workers of the community development project there. After three months’/ hard labour she was able to prepare 30 women to be enrolled as Guides. They were taught how to help themselves and the community. A few flocks and companies have also been started there for children and young girls, to teach them how they can become useful members of the community. The same kind of project will soon be started at Dharampura—Juggi area—in co-operation with the Punjab University department of social work, she writes.