Girl Scouts from across the US recently spent two weeks adventuring in the gorgeous cities of Pune, Delhi, and Mumbai, India to connect with their sister Girl Guides (WAGGGS) and Girl Scouts. On the second half of their journey, the girls met with international community partners, tried out “laughing yoga”, and visited the Taj Majal!
Read the second part of their trip below, and find out how you can travel with the Girl Scouts!
International Connections
The girls had the incredible opportunity to visit one of Sangam’s community partners, MAHER, an organization whose work spans across India and aims at providing support, resources, and homes for women, children, the elderly, and the mentally ill, especially those who are victims of violence. During their visit, they learned about MAHER’s efforts in family reunification and social services for the disadvantaged.
One of their most moving experiences in India was their visit to another community organization, a cafe called Sheroes run by survivors of acid attacks. During their visit, they watched a documentary about the survivors, and the girls chose to donate to the cafe to help their efforts stopping acid attacks and limiting accessibility to acid.
Though learning about systemic violence is challenging and discomforting, it is imperative to the development of Girl Scouts to educate themselves on issues like these. Through their contributions and their conversations with the people at Sheroes and MAHER, the girls gained a deeper comprehension of the injustices towards women and children globally. By meeting with these organizations, the girls became empowered to take action and make their own contributions to struggling populations in their local and global community.
Explorations and Education
The cross-cultural ties continued as the girls completed the Pune Leadership Challenge, exploring different parts of the city and completing an assortment of quiz questions. The girls later celebrated with an Indian afternoon: they learned how to tie Sarees, paint henna, and play Indian games. For dinner, they had an Indian wedding feast, and finished off the evening with a dancing class. By honoring and participating in these diverse cultural traditions, the Girl Scouts were able to see the links between their world and the world abroad.
Along with these different impactful experiences, the girls embarked on several adventures: water-tower climbing, “laughing yoga,” and visits to the biggest Mosque in India—Taj-ul-Masjid, a beautiful tomb, and an exquisite Sikh Gurudwara (a Sikh place of worship).
Red Fort, Delhi, India
On their last full day of sightseeing, the girls started their four-hour voyage to Agra, the city where the Taj Mahal is located. They visited the Red Fort, a cultural landmark surrounded by a deep moat, holding a multitude of palace-like buildings influenced by Persian and Islamic architecture. The Red Fort was partially designed by the man who built the Taj Majal. Their next stop was the Mehtab Bagh (“Moonlit Garden”), where the girls took pictures in front of the close-up view of the Taj Mahal.
Finally, the girls made it to the Taj Mahal, where they explored the beautiful wonder of the world and took several hundreds of pictures.
Oh, The Places You’ll Go
The girls are back home, and we are so happy to share their experiences and photos with the Girl Scouts of Chicago and Northwestern Indiana.
We hope by sharing stories like these that more girls will be encouraged to explore this giant, beautiful world. We hope Girl Scouts continue to practice cultural empathy and appreciation. More importantly, we hope girls become inspired to take action and make positive contributions to the world, whether in their own neighborhood, or places far, far away.
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