DofE International Award Association

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D of E success stories from across the African continent | Tunde Folawiyo

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has been up and running in many African countries for several decades now. Supporters of this type of programme, such as Tunde Folawiyo, are probably aware that over the years, the D of E has provided countless numbers of young people with the guidance they needed to overcome Tunde Folawiyodifficulties in their lives, and discover their talents and abilities. Here, we’ll be discussing the experiences of two youths from Kenya and South Africa, whose involvement in the D of E helped them to flourish, in spite of the challenging circumstances in which they grew up.

In Kenya, the award is known as ‘PA-K’ or the President’s Award-Kenya. Throughout the last 48 years, the programme has helped many young Kenyans to develop important life skills that have helped them to not only make positive changes in their own lives, but to also make a difference in the lives of those around them.  Take for example, Julius Irungu Krush; this young man grew up in complete poverty, residing in the Mathare slums, where there was often no electricity or running water.

During his childhood and teens, Julius has no role models or authority figures in his life that he could look up to, or seek advice from. Discussing his upbringing, he explained that by the time he reached his teens, he began to feel as if there were no hope for the future – an opinion which changed quite dramatically when he discovered the award programme.

In particular, it was the Service activities which spurred Julius on, and made him feel far more optimistic about life. Tunde Folawiyo, and others who are familiar with the D of E, understand how valuable this particular aspect of the programme can be. Through the Services section, Julius discovered a passion for community work, and set up an initiative called Raising Hope, which focuses on mentoring children living in the Mathare slums, and helping them to cope with the problems they face in their environment. Julius’ experience in the programme inspired him to return to it, as a voluntary leader, after he completed his activities and received his Gold award.

A similar story was shared by a South African participant named Vionaver Booysen, at a D of E event held in Franschhoek last year. The programme here is called the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, and has been in operation for over three decades. Vionaver Booysen grew up in a poor neighbourhood call Hanover, where the opportunities for education and employment were virtually non-existent.

But rather than allowing her situation to determine her future, Vionaver decided to take action. She joined the award programme, and began to work on a project called CASE (Community Action towards a Safer Environment) which focuses on improving the living conditions of the residents of Hanover. After becoming a Gold award recipient, Vionaver went back to work for CASE full-time, as a Youth Co-ordinator.

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Can the DofE programme help teens get into university? | Tunde Folawiyo

Quite often, teenagers join the DofE programme with the simple intention of developing a few new skills, and perhaps going on a fun expedition with their friends. But the fact of the matter is that the programme has a far more significant impact on participants’ lives than they initially realise. As they continue on their journey, completing one activity after the next, they usually become more aware of just how beneficial their involvement can be, particularly when they begin to go for university interviews, and apply for places on academic courses.

A few years ago, the DofE commissioned Northampton University to carry out research into the impact of this programme on young people. The results of this research indicated that participation in the DofE has a tremendously positive effect on teens. Over 74% of the respondents said that their self-esteem had improved during their Tunde Folawiyotime with the DofE, whilst 82% said that the volunteering activities they had undertaken had inspired them to do other volunteer work in the future.

Being familiar with this programme, Tunde Folawiyo is probably aware that the self-esteem which participants develop by planning activities, collaborating with others, and accomplishing their goals, is of enormous help when the time comes to apply to universities. The interview process for the UK’s top educational institutes can be very challenging, especially for teens who are perhaps shy or insecure. However, for DofE participants, who are confident and believe in their own self-worth, the experience will probably be far less intimidating.

One DofE member, who was completing her gold level activities at the time of answering the survey, said that as part of her leadership work, she had been asked to do a 20-minute presentation. She explained that, prior to joining the DofE, the thought of speaking to a large group of people for this length of time would have terrified her, but that, due to the confidence she had gained through her participation in the programme, she was able to deliver the presentation in a professional manner, without allowing her nerves to interfere with her performance.

The volunteer work which young people must do as part of the DofE can also help them get into their chosen academic institute, as this type of an extracurricular activity is something which is looked upon favourably by universities. Nowadays, most people, including Tunde Folawiyo, realise that these institutes want more than just good grades; they want to see that a student is well-rounded, and capable of doing more than merely learning off lists of facts and figures. A history of volunteer work indicates that the applicant has a sense of social responsibility, can take the initiative, and is able motivate themselves.

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The impact of the DofE programme on participants’ career prospects | Tunde Folawiyo

Many members of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme join during their early teens, simply because they wish to get involved in some fun activities outside of school, and make new friends. But as they complete one challenging task after another, they usually begin to realise just how beneficial their participation in the DofE can be, both personally and professionally; the vast majority find that they become far more confident, responsible and organised because of their involvement in this programme. These qualities are essential in any profession, and as such, it can safely be said that completing each level of the DofE will vastly improve a young person’s future career prospects.

Last summer, the DofE committee created a survey in which it asked participants to discuss their thoughts about the programme. The results should come as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with the DofE, like Tunde Folawiyo; they showed that 80% of those aged between 16 and 18 believed that having been involved in the DofE would make it easier for them to secure a job in their chosen industry after they leave school, with many stating that the skills and qualities they had acquired would help them through the interview process. Those who had received their Gold Award said that they felt they had developed the most important employability attributes, including self-management, problem-solving, team work and communication.

Local authorities and youth development organisations across the UK are becoming far more aware of how beneficial it is for youths to Tunde Folawiyocomplete this programme, and are now encouraging teens to join the DofE, as a means of reducing national unemployment figures in the future. Just recently, Bishop Auckland College collaborated with a regeneration project called Durham-Gate, to host a series of events designed to encourage local teenagers to sign up for the DofE. One of the attendees, Neil McMillan, explained that getting young people to join this programme would give them a significant advantage in the job market later in their lives, as many employers now actively seek out candidates who have received their Bronze, Silver and Gold DofE awards.

A similar event was arranged by a company called Amey last year; they hosted a workshop which aimed to tackle unemployment amongst young people. Amey is one of just seven businesses in the UK which allows its under-25 employees to join the DofE as part of their training.  The Earl of Wessex attended the workshop; he noted that the current economy makes it very difficult for those in their late teens and early twenties to obtain employment, and that it would therefore be wise for young people to join a programme like the DofE, which will help them to grow into well-rounded, confident and capable adults. This is an opinion which Tunde Folawiyo, and other supporters of the DofE might agree with.

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How the DofE established itself overseas | Tunde Folawiyo

Just a few short years after the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was launched in the UK, word of this exciting new youth development programme began to spread overseas. A number of schools in other countries started to take an interest in it, and with some careful planning and preparation, their students were able to participate.

The trend of foreign schools and organisations joining in the DofE, and creating their own versions of this programme, continued to grow and by the early eighties, the DofE committee in the UK decided that it was time to hold an International Forum. In total, nineteen delegates attended; after lengthy discussions on the best ways to develop the programme overseas, they decided to re-designate the International Secretariat. Not long after this, they established the DofE International Award Association, whose work is now carried out by the highly-respected DofE International Award Foundation – a charity which Tunde Folawiyo may be familiar with.

Tunde FolawiyoThese two organisations have made is considerably easier for young people around the world to get involved with the DofE. Currently, the programme has more than 850,000 participants worldwide, and since the DofE was first launched, approximately 8 million people have completed their bronze, silver and gold level activities.

Today, the staff at the DofE International Award Foundation work tirelessly to promote this programme in over 140 countries, giving young people the opportunity to participate – regardless of their circumstances or background – and preserving the integrity of the award itself. Whilst the Foundation has already achieved a great deal in this respect, its staff intend to help even more people to get involved. Their new business plan will enable the Foundation to raise awareness of the DofE in countries where it has not yet been launched and continue to improve the quality of the programme itself, both in the UK and abroad.

Those who are aware of this programme, like Tunde Folawiyo, might know that the Countess and Earl of Wessex have also been doing their part to promote the DofE around the world, with the former having recently been named as the DofE International Award’s Global Ambassador. The couple have set off on a journey which will take them to the USA in late February, and Barbados and Jamaica at the beginning of March. Throughout the past 12 months, the Countess and the Earl have travelled to many other countries on behalf of the DofE International Award, including Zambia, South Africa, Canada and Hong Kong.