Meet our Guiding Ambassador
Hello sisters in Guiding, 
My name is Andrea Chakma, and I am incredibly excited to step into the portfolio of Guiding Ambassador. As a second year Spark, I had no idea where Guiding would take me. Twenty years later, I can say with certainty that Guiding has shaped me in profound ways. My Guiding experiences have helped me grow into the leader and individual I am today, and it is a privilege to give back to this movement that has supported me so much.
My Guiding journey started in Bangladesh where my mother was a Girl Guide in a remote village in the west. When she immigrated to Canada and had her two daughters, she knew that Guiding was one activity she wanted her daughters to join. She had a transformative experience in Guiding, growing as a leader, and she knew her daughters would have a similar experience.
As a girl member, I have fond memories selling cookies at the local mall, learning new skills during meetings and getting involved in the community through numerous volunteer opportunities. More importantly, I found my voice. In Pathfinders and Rangers, I was an Ontario Youth Forum member and a National Youth Council Member. In 2019, attending the Juliette Low Seminar in Taiwan, as Canada’s delegate, opened the door to the global WAGGGS community. I later joined the Core Mission Team as a facilitator, supporting projects in India, the Arab Region, Curaçao, Malaysia and beyond. These opportunities have strengthened my commitment to youth empowerment and helped me understand the beauty of the sisterhood of Guiding and how important it is to continue supporting girls and young women in this volatile world.
I wanted to give back to Girl Guides of Canada – the organization that led me on these wonderful journeys. In 2022 I joined the Board of Directors as Chair for the National Youth Council, actively contributing to the same leadership opportunity that led me to become the confident, engaged and motivated person I am today. Now, I have the great honour of bringing that lens to this role as Guiding Ambassador.
Guiding has been by my side every step of the way. As a PhD Student researching social robots, I credit Guiding with giving me the confidence to pursue a career path that remains male dominated.
Being on the Board these last few years, it has been an honour to see the way this organization is evolving to remain inclusive and relevant to girls in Canada. It truly is exciting to see how we are always still putting our youth first.
In this new role, I remain committed to ensuring our youth have a voice at the table – that they feel they can navigate the world to make a difference in the communities they interact in. But I’m also invested in understanding how, as an organization, we can be agile and transformative – ensuring we are serving and empowering our youth for the future for many more years to come.
I am excited to be taking on this new role, to represent this movement and sisterhood within the organization and elsewhere. Over the next few months, I will be actively connecting with members and volunteers to learn more about your experiences. An easy way to connect with me is via Facebook or Instagram where I am working to build a strong and engaged internal community.
To our members, volunteers and staff – thank you for all that you do for this organization. We are not who we are without every single person who contributes to the success of this movement and supports our mission of a better world by girls. I look forward to connecting with you all over the next few months.
Yours in Guiding,
Andrea Chakma