President Akufo-Addo presents gold awards to 281 youth
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has presented gold awards to 281 youth in the country who successfully completed the Head of State Gold Awards scheme at a ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra last Friday.
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Twenty individuals and organisations who also contributed to the success of the scheme were recognised at the event which was attended by the crème de la crème of society and some members of the diplomatic corps.
Scheme
The award scheme, which is an affiliate of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, is a non-formal educational framework that complements formal education or offers a substitute where formal opportunities are not available.
It provides non-formal education and real-life learning for beneficiaries between 12-month and 18 months.
It also recognises and celebrates the achievements of young people outside the walls of the classroom.
The scheme further encourages young people aged between 14 and 24 to step out of their comfort zones, explore their environment, take on new challenges, stay physically and mentally fit and embrace the spirit of adventure.
Introduced in the country in 1967, it pushes beneficiaries to take charge of their personal development and life and offers them the opportunity to view life from different perspectives, thereby broadening their view of life and ability to positively impact society.
The scheme uses a ward framework along with support from adult volunteers to guide young people to discover and develop themselves.
Commendation
President Akufo-Addo, who is the Chief Patron of the awards, described the scheme as an excellent idea and commended the initiators for its sustenance.
He, however, called for support to complete the Head of State Award secretariat because “the award scheme does not have any secretariat anywhere in the world.
When we finish this one in Ghana it will be the first in the world”.
The President expressed his commitment to ensure its completion.
The Chief Executive of the award, Akai Anum, said the 2023 scheme benefited a total of 13,241 young men and women, contributing a social value of GH¢18.7 million using the principles of welfare economic evaluation techniques aligned with the principles of social return on investment.