One hundred and eighty four youngsters have been honored with the Gold Award Achievers at the 13th Duke of Edinburgh International Awards.
The award which has been christened the Head of State Awards Scheme in Ghana is aimed at recognising adolescents and young adults who have devoted their time to serve voluntarily in various fields.
Founded in the United Kingdom by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is a youth awards programme that has since expanded to 144 nations.
The awards which began in Ghana in 1967 has recognised over 300,000 Ghanaian adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 to 24 for completing a series of self-improvement exercises modelled on Kurt Hahn’s solution to the “Six Declines of Modern Youth”.
The 13th Edition of the awards saw 184 youngsters honoured with a Gold Award.
The Executive Director of the Awards Secretariat in Ghana, Peter Anum said the youth are the future who need to be groomed and nurtured to take up the mantle and make an impact in the world.
The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward who conferred the awards on the young entrepreneurs charged the recipients of award to go out there an make an impact on other youngsters.
Vice President Dr. Bawumia who joined Prince Edward to present Gold Awards congratulated the awardees for their fortitude and willingness to take up the challenge to acquire a skill for themselves.
He challenged the awardees to believe in themselves and their capabilities be a vehicle of change in their own small way.
He said government is proud of them urging them to deepen the team spirit imbibed in them to make a positive change in their field of work.
A recipient of the award Yaw Gyapong Biney sharing his experience said the scheme has made him a better person.
A Special Award was given to Mr. Yahaya Tia for his contributions towards the awards.
Story by Mercy Darko
