Youth experience Africa in its diversity
2005-11-17
I HAVE learnt that irrespective of race, creed, colour or nationality we all passed inner barriers and mingled as one big, happy family, says one of the Kenyan participants of the recent Kenyan/South African exchange as part of the President’s Award Programme.
Other comments were: “I’ve learnt that I can do the things that people say I can’t”; “I learned that true friendship goes a long way, if you are committing yourself to that particular friendship”; “I learnt so much about myself, I learnt how to mingle with new people and some Swahili, and to trust and believe in myself”.
The Awards were launched in Britain in 1956 as The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Within ten years, 16 countries had adopted the idea and were running their own Award Programmes.
Today 118 countries run the Award under a number of different titles.
In South Africa, the President’s Award is celebrating 21 years of work with young people between the ages of 14 and 25.
To date, 90 000 young people have enrolled on the programme, 21 000 of those within South African prisons.
Nine schools in Paarl/Franschhoek are participating. They are New Orleans, Noorder Paarl, Paulus Joubert, Klein Nederburg, Kylemore, Franschhoek High, Groendal, Bridge House and Kylemore, as well as inmates of local Correctional facilities.
Some of the service projects organised by regional organiser Nolan Prins include the cutting down of invasive trees at the Athlone House of Strength currently under construction; the painting of two rooms at the Rusthof Home for Aged, as well as cleaning the garden.
The Award is open to all young people regardless of ability, background or culture.
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