The Guides du Bénin (''Girl Guides of Benin'') is the national Guiding organization of

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. Guiding in Benin started in 1954, the association was founded in 1960 and became a member of the

World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS ) is a global association that supports Girl Guides, female-oriented and female-only Guiding and Scouting organizations in 153 countries. It was established in the year 1928 in Parád, H ...

(WAGGGS) in 1963. The girls-only association has 1,533 members (as of 2003). It is affiliated to

Scoutisme Béninois Scoutisme Béninois is the national Scouting organization of Benin. Scouting in Benin started around 1930 and became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1964 under the previous name Dahomey. Its Girl Guide branch, the Gui ...

, the national member of the

World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest and, after the Order of World Scouts (formed in 1911), is the second-oldest international organization in the Scout Movement, having been established in 1922. It has 176 members. ...

History

The first Guide patrols in then-

Dahomey The Kingdom of Dahomey () was a West African List of kingdoms in Africa throughout history, kingdom located within present-day Benin that existed from approximately 1600 until 1904. It developed on the Abomey Plateau amongst the Fon people in ...

developed in

Porto-Novo , , ; ; ; also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Benin, second-largest city of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. In 1863, following Bri ...

in 1954. Two years later, the first Guide camp was held and the movement spread to

Cotonou Cotonou (; ) is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies ...

. When the association was official founded in 1960, all three sections were introduced. In 1963, the Guides du Bénin became an associate member of WAGGGS. In the following years, membership numbers stagnated, and the association was only granted full membership in WAGGGS in 2005.

Program

Sections

The association is divided into three sections, according to the age of the members: * Jeanettes ( Brownies) - ages 8 to 11 * Guides (Girl Guides) - ages 11 to 16 * Guides âinées (Ranger Guides) - ages 16 and older

Promise, law and motto

The Guide Promise of the Guides du Bénin has the following wording: Sur mon honneur je m'engage à servir Dieu et mon pays en toute circonstances, à aider mon prochain et à observer la loi des guides.
''On my honour, I undertake to serve God and my country in all circumstances, to help other and to keep the Guide Law.'' The Guide Law of the Guides du Bénin: # La Guide n'a qu'une parole.
''A Guide keeps her word.'' # La Guide est loyale.
''A Guide is loyal.'' # La Guide est utile à ses parents, ses camarades et son pays.
''A Guide is useful to her parents, friends and country.'' # La Guide est l'amie de tous.
''A Guide is a friend to all.'' # La Guide est courtoise et sait obéir.
''A Guide is courteous and knows how to obey.'' # La Guide découvre la nature et la protège.
''A Guide learns about Nature and protects it.'' # La Guide est toujours de bonne humeur.
''A Guide is always good-tempered.'' # La Guide est économe et travailleuse.
''A Guide is thrifty and hardworking.'' # La Guide est propre dans ses pensées, ses paroles et ses actes.
''A Guide is pure in her thoughts, her words and her deeds.'' # La Guide est civiquement consciente et sert les intérêts du peuple béninois.
''A Guide is a responsible citizen and acts for the good of the people of Benin.'' The Guide Motto is ''Toujours prêt!'', ''Always Prepared'' in French.

References

* World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Bureau (1997), ''Trefoil Round the World''. Eleventh Edition 1997. {{DEFAULTSORT:Guides Du Benin World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts member organizations Scouting and Guiding in Benin Youth organizations established in 1960