It is over a year since Team Malawi went our separate ways at a bus station in the middle of Malawi and this weekend is the first time our whole team have been together again! As we have found out, coordinating six active Girlguiding members to be at the same place at the same time is a very challenging task - in the words of M, it was easier to organise a project in Malawi that get everyone together for a reunion!
Despite some very cold and wet weather, we have made the best of our time in Weston-super-mare, and have had fish and chips on the beach, played arcade games on the pier and made a good start at catching up on what has been going on in everyone's lives over the last year! Living up to our reputation as a team, we have not stopped talking since we arrived.
So what have our GOLDies been getting up to over the last year and how are we surviving a life without GOLD? Since returning to the UK, we have had 7 house moves (by 4 people), 6 new appearances on the Girlguiding website, 5 job changes, 4 months volunteering at Sangam, 3 new cars, 2 country reps at Go for GOLD, 2 new Queen's Guides, 1 new hamster, 1 new husband, 0 regrets.... and all of our lives changed by the experience!
Not all of the action has been happening on the UK side of the team though! We have been excited to follow the work of MAGGA since we have left them and have been so proud at how hard they have been working. A special mention should certainly be made for Lucy who is now one of 5 champions selected by WAGGGS for their work towards the UN global goals for sustainable development and the #TeamGirl campaign. It's great to see everyone's efforts to continue the work of GOLD after our team came home.
Speaking of GOLD projects, MAGGA have been exceptionally lucky this year and have had another U.K. team running a project this summer. We haven't heard all that the team got up to this year but we hope that they had just as much fun that we did and that the lovely ladies of MAGGA have benefitted from another year of training.
It is very strange to think that we have reached the end of our GOLD journey, but we are all so grateful for the experience and are looking forward to new adventures. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout our journey, we hope we have inspired you to get involved in some Girlguiding adventures of your own.
Lots of GOLD love,
Team Malawi x
