16 March 2022
HRH The Earl of Wessex visits Kenya in support of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
The Earl of Wessex has arrived in Kenya, his first overseas visit with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award since the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as The President’s Award in Kenya, His Royal Highness will meet some of the 40,000 young people completing the scheme in the country and see first-hand the positive impact of the Award in promoting teamwork and leadership skills amongst its participants.
On the first full day of visit, His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex today planted a tree in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
HRH was in Aberdare Open Field, close to Treetops, where Her Majesty The Queen received the news of Her Accession to the throne 70 years ago in 1952.
The tree planting came after His Royal Highness met young people taking part in their Gold Award expedition and heard first-hand about their efforts to support environmental conservation. Participants in the Award have planted more than 30,000 trees across Kenya in the past year as part of efforts to tackle climate change.
The Pondo tree planted by The Earl will form part of The Queen’s Green Canopy – a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee.’
In his role as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation, The Earl of Wessex later met Vice-Chancellors from Kenyan universities to discuss the importance of non-formal education and learning.
His Royal Highness will also attend a Bronze and Silver Award presentation ceremony during his visit, celebrating those participants who have worked hard to receive their Awards.
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For more information, interviews or Award content:
Nellie Munala C.E.O, The President’s Award-Kenya
[email protected] +254787419325
About The President’s Award-Kenya
- The President’s Award – Kenya was officially launched in 1966 by President Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya and later established by an Act of Parliament, President’s Award Act No.30 of 2017, as a State Corporation domiciled in the Ministry of Education
- The Award is offered to in school and out of school youth between the ages of 14 – 24
- There are thousands of young people across Kenya completing their Award supported by hundreds of dedicated volunteers and supporters
- The President’s Award Kenya is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Chairman of the President’s Award – Kenya Board of Trustees is Fr. (Dr.) Dominic Wamugunda
- Kenya houses the Nairobi office of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation Nairobi office, which is also in charge of Sub-Sahara Africa.
To find The President’s Award -Kenya please visit here.
About The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
- The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global, non-formal education and learning framework which challenges young people to develop new skills, get physically active, learn about teamwork and leadership through Adventurous Journey and volunteer within their community.
- It was founded by HRH The Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, in conjunction with German educationalist Kurt Hahn.
- It is known by a range of different names around the world – including The President’s Award in Kenya, DofE in the UK, The International Award for Young People in India and Mednarodno priznanje za mlade (MEPI) in Slovenia.
- There are currently more than a million young people completing their own unique Award programme, via hundreds of thousands of youth-focused partners and operators, including schools, youth organisations, examination boards and youth offenders’ institutions.
- The Award is delivered around the world by schools, colleges, universities, employers, social clubs, uniformed and non-uniformed youth organisations, young offenders’ institutions, religious organisations, sports clubs, and a whole host of other civic organisations.
- From running as an established programme in a blind boys’ academy in India, to the introduction into youth organisations in Israel; the Award’s framework can support and thrive in a multitude of different environments.
- Since its launch over 60 years ago, millions of young people have participated and received Awards, with millions more benefitting from its impact in communities around the world.
- HRH The Earl of Wessex is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation.