We kicked off the first of our GOLD trainings with a meeting and session with the Arubaanese Padvinster Gilde (APG) National Board on the WAGGGS Leadership Mindset; we presented each of the mindsets with an interactive activity. For some of the team, this was their first experience of training and we all agreed that the session went well. Since being in Aruba, we have been given a very warm welcome by the APG who are keen to ensure that GOLD helps the organisation to develop as well as the individuals within it.
One of the objectives of our project is to facilitate the formation of a new programme for the APG and we worked hard to ensure that our weekend sessions met this objective. On Saturday, we each delivered our own training sessions on the WAGGGS five essentials, our current UK programme, UN global goals, international opportunities, WAGGGS resources, planning a session and what girls want. The sessions were broken up with fun energisers which the leaders can take away to run with their girls. There was lots of brainpower used throughout the day, fueled by a delicious lunch and the leaders all agreed that they gained lots of new knowledge and ideas to take away. Sunday saw us up early, alive, alert, awake and enthusiastic to work together towards developing a new programme for the APG, based on what the leaders had learnt on the Saturday.
Its not been all training since we have been in Aruba, the team enjoyed an interesting meal where we waited in line for over an hour (amusing ourselves by playing a game of course) then had ‘Wow’ fish, chips and shrimps which we ate in the dark, bobbing on a jetty over the Aruban sea, while we faced a constant battle with the wind to keep our food on our plates!!
Jos and Heather have also enjoyed learning to 'drive like an Aruban’ to ensure we fit in with the locals, despite our ‘visitor’ plate and get from A to B in our van - nicknamed Bow - Box on Wheels!!
On Monday we had a great day being toured around the North side of Aruba in Bow by Nika, a member of the APG. We climbed the lighthouse, visited the Alto Vista church and reflected in the peace labyrinth. We then explored the beach, cove, gold mine ruins and natural bridge. It was a great day out and with our windswept hair and slightly pink skin we rushed off to meet the National Board and APG GOLD committee to plan for the rest of the project, in Starbucks!
The day ended with mermaids being eaten in a shark attack………….cocktail!!!
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