Afrika Tikkun to launch The President’s Award

For more than 35 years, The President’s Award has ensured that young people develop a lifestyle that gives them the valuable life skills required to pursue their ambitions. This year is no different. The President’s Award is internationally recognised and endorsed as part of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award programme, started in 1956 by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG KT. In South Africa, Afrika Tikkun has partnered with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, Stonehage Fleming, The Holder Family, and the GL Jubilee Foundation, created by Gary Lubner, to launch the Award later this month. This will be the first time that the Award is available and accessible within some of the disadvantaged communities of South Africa.

The Award will be offered to all young people, within the Afrika Tikkun centres, between the ages of 14 to 24. This opportunity will equip our young people for life regardless of their background, culture, physical ability, skills, and interests. Participation in the Award is a personal challenge and not a competition against others; it pushes young people to their personal limits and recognises their unique achievements.

The Award prepares young people for life through the development of universal life skills enabling them to become responsible, committed, and dedicated citizens. It provides a framework for informal education and a set of guidelines and principles, with proven outcomes for the young participants who complete the Award.

The President’s Award is structured to develop such skills, and prepare young people for secondary and tertiary education, as well as for the rigorous world of employment.

The Award focuses on four (4) key elements:
1 Enrolment: The award is open to enrolment for all young people between the ages of 14 and 24.
2 Three Levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold, with increasing increments of time required with each level.
3 Four Sections: Physical Recreation, Skills, Voluntary Service, Adventurous Journey plus Gold Residential Project (Gold level only).
4 Self-Improvement: Achieving an Award recognises individual goal setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.

To earn an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical well-being, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment. A network of trained adult Award Leaders, Assessors, and Supervisors within Afrika Tikkun will be there to support all participants.
Participants are required to complete various activities over a set period in order to earn the Award. Upon completion, they receive a certificate, signed by HRH, Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex KG GCVO, and His Excellency, President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, and a pin for the level they have completed. The President’s Award certificates enjoy global recognition by employers and institutions of higher learning.

About The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
• The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a global, non-formal education and learning framework. It 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 Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, in conjunction with German educationalist Kurt Hahn.
• 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 for The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation.
• 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.
• Schools, colleges, universities, employers, social clubs, uniformed and non-uniformed youth organisations, young offenders’ institutions, religious organisations, sports clubs, and a host of other civic organisations deliver the Award worldwide.
• 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 many environments. Find out more at: https://www.dofe.org/

About Stonehage Fleming
Stonehage Fleming is one of the world’s leading independently owned provider of long-term services in strategic planning and investments. They are the largest service provider of its kind in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as measured by its breadth of services, geographic, reach and by assets under management, advice and administration.Stonehage Fleming provides also provides day-to-day advice and administration to the world’s leading families and wealth creators. The Group advises on over GBP60bn (USD75bn) of assets and includes an investment business with more than GBP16bn (USD20bn) under management for families and charities. Stonehage Fleming is 50% owned by management and staff. The Group employs over 900 people in 14 locations around the world. Find out more at: www.stonehagefleming.com