By Audrielyn E. Ulloa, BA Comm 4 OJT
Milca Jane Cameseria is a grade 11 STEM student of CPU.
Juliette Gordon Low once said, “Scouting rises within you and inspires you to put forth your best.”
Milca Jane Cameseria, a grade 11 STEM student from Central Philippine University and Cadet Girl Scout of the Iloilo Girl Scout Council, was selected by the Act4Food, Act4Change, an organization set in England, to represent the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) for the CO-CREATE Youth Conference at the Sundvolden Hotel, Oslo, Norway on March 25-27, 2022. She was accompanied by GPN Program Co-Creation Member Mrs. Erica R. Quinn, a troop leader from Rizal Girl Scout Council, as her official chaperone.
During her youth conference, Milca attended different sessions and workshops on how to make your advocacy campaigns and projects effective. They also had sessions that discussed how important our health is and how to co-create policies to prevent childhood obesity. Milca shared, “I gave a speech on the second day of the event with the theme: “From Ideas to Action: how can youth change the world” and also a presentation about what Act4Food, Act4Change is all about with my fellow youth leader and Campaign Coordinator, Dara Karakolis.”
The CO-CREATE is a big project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme that aims to give young people a platform to raise their voices. It is composed of 15 youth alliances based in England, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Portugal.
From being an Act4Food, Act4Change Youth Leader Champion, Girl Powered Nutrition (GPN) Advocacy Champion of WAGGGS, and Vice Chairperson of the Iloilo Girl Scout Council Cadet Planning Board, the 17-year-old has showed explicit passion as a Cadet Girl Scout. Recalling her reaction after finding out she would be representing the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) for the CO-CREATE Youth Conference, she said, “I found out that I would be representing the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) and Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) for the Co-Create Youth Conference back on October 08, 2021 when my fellow youth leader, Dara Karakolis, sent me an email we were invited to attend the Co-Create Youth Conference in Norway. I was very shocked and excited at that time since it is a face-to-face event, but I was worried at that time since the Omicron Variant was running rampant at the time, and, also, it is a very big responsibility to take since it is an international event.”
When asked what she could say about this opportunity, she answered, “I can say that this is a very big opportunity for me to showcase my experiences as a girl scout and as a youth in changing our community and our world for a better future. It also helped me create new connections and friendships around the globe. Also, through this opportunity, I have also learned many things that can help me in contributing to making positive changes in our world since we, young people, are the driving force of today’s society. Youth can change the world. We have the ideas, creativity, and great energy to shape a better world.”
According to Milca, the best thing about being a Cadet Girl Scout was, “It is an area where girls can develop the skills and confidence needed to make positive changes in their lives, their communities, and countries.” She added, “In girl scouting, girls and young women stand up and speak out on issues affecting them, to be a leader within themselves to make positive choices.”
To end this, Milca wanted to share the pledge for Act4Food, Act4Change:
“We pledge to act. And we demand urgent large-scale action from others, especially from decision-makers in government and business.
As youth we #Act4Food #Act4Change to support #GoodFoodForAll
Have you pledged? If not head over to actions4food.org to pledge.”