tunde folawiyo bio

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Duke of Edinburgh Award Continues Inspiring Youth

Tunde FolawiyoAt an exclusive gala at Windsor Castle sponsored by the Halcyon Gallery, the Duke of Edinburgh World Fellowship recently celebrated twenty-seven years of inspiring world youth. From its founding in the UK, it since has spread in various versions to 140 additional countries. Young people worldwide are participating in the program, and community leaders, in business, politics and education, are doing their part to support the programme globally. Supporters of the Duke of Edinburgh Award are dedicated to the enrichment of young people, including Tunde Folawiyo. Those interested can view this Tunde Folawiyo profile.

Award holders include 22-year-old Vionaver Booysen, of South Africa, who has earned all three awards available in the programme: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Booysen was raised in a situation of adversity, but felt a strong desire to work to make a better life for the people in her community. She became involved in a community-action organisation, of which she is now the Assistant Youth Coordinator. She remains active in The President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, the form the Duke of Edinburgh award has taken in South Africa.

Patricia Yeboah, a young woman from Ghana, used her work with the Duke of Edinburgh award to focus on issues faced by women in her local community. In Ghana, women have higher rates of illiteracy and fewer employment opportunities than men. Yeboah addresses the roles of women in her community by organising a photography club for young women. The group meets weekly to share their photography and their experiences, with half the costs of film printing covered by the Head of State Award, which is Ghana’s iteration of the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The local school, which provides a space for the group to meet, says that the program is having a visible impact on the students’ well-being. Yeboah’s work has also increased local participation in the Head of State Award program.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award programme continues to grow. The World Fellowship promotes the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which was founded in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, to award young people for living lives of service, acquiring skills, and learning about the world through travel and adventure. The programme has attracted over eight million participants worldwide.

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The accomplishments of South African DofE participants

In South Africa, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is known as the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment. Over the past three decades, approximately 110,000 youths have gotten involved in this programme, and in doing so, have not only discovered new talents, developed new skills and become more well-rounded individuals, but have also had an incredibly positive impact on their communities. In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the extraordinary accomplishments of the young South Africans who have completed the Award.

Those who visit South Africa regularly, such as Tunde Folawiyo, may know that it is a nation of economic extremes; although there are some extremely wealthy areas, the country also has very high rates of unemployment and poverty. Schalk Burger, a young student who was studying at a prestigious secondary school, was acutely aware of this problem, and after joining the President’s Award, he decided to do something about it. In 2010, he launched Clothing-4-Children, a garment recycling initiative.

He asked all of his fellow students to gather up any high quality, unwanted clothing they had lying around their homes. Tunde FolawiyoThe generous donations of his peers encouraged him to continue with this project, resulting in him teaming up with the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. This collaboration enabled Schalk and his brother to get 41 other schools around the country involved in Clothing-4-Children. To date, he has managed to collect more than 588 tonnes of clothes, which have an estimated value of $32.1 million.

Emily Mabasa is another participant with an inspiring story. As a physically disabled young person, completing the Award was very challenging at times; however, Emily’s involvement in this programme did wonders for her, helping her to uncover a love for activities such as creative writing, dancing and design.

The Service section had a particularly profound effect, and led to her working on setting up a skill centre, which will be aimed specifically at those living in poorer homes, where children are often expected to take on the role of head of the household. She hopes that this centre will be able to teach young people some practical skills, so that as they grow up, they won’t be reliant on government handouts to survive.

Tunde Folawiyo, and anyone else who is familiar with the Award, will probably understand just how many opportunities it provides participants with. Her involvement in the President’s Award has opened up a great many doors for Emily; for instance, during Youth Month Commemoration, she and three other participants were invited to an event called ‘Youth of South Africa – Legends of the Future and History Makers’. This year, Emily will also be travelling to South Korea, to serve as a representative of the Award at the International Gold Event.

Anyone who, like Folawiyo, is interested youth development initiatives like the President’s Award, and would like to learn more about this subject, should follow Tunde Folawiyo projects online.

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The growing role of the internet within the DofE programme

The DofE is known primarily for its ‘real life’ activities, which have a tangible impact on the lives of both the participants, and their local communities. Up until recently, the internet played a relatively minor role in this programme, having been used mainly for promotional purposes. However, this has started to change, as the DofE committee, and the individual Award participants, are now beginning to see the many ways in which the online world can help them to develop and improve upon the existing programme.

Tunde FolawiyoThose who are familiar with the DofE, such as Tunde Folawiyo, are probably aware that the integration of the internet into its operations is proving to be particularly beneficial in Africa. Take, for instance, Joram Otieno, a man who helps to run the DofE in Kenya. As an external relations coordinator, he is now managing the new online platform through which the Award committee are training leaders.

Otieno believes that this new way of teaching leaders will ‘revolutionise’ the DofE, by not only attracting more candidates, but also by making the monitoring of their training more efficient and effective. There will be far less physical management and paperwork processing to be done, and this in turn will free up the committee’s time, allowing it to expand the Award around other parts of Kenya.

Programme participants in South Africa are also making use of the internet to achieve their award goals. Duncan Vanniekerk is one such example. He noticed that there were several corporations that were claiming to have helped those living in disadvantaged communities, but in reality, had simply used ineffective one-day sponsorships to improve their public image.

He set about creating a project which would convince organisations to commit to helping people in these areas on a more long-term basis. The online platform which he developed, called ‘Sponsor Me’, enables groups to post their charitable and developmental initiatives on the net. Companies can then go through the website and select a project, which they can then sponsor for a specified amount of time. It had been very successful, and is a site which most people, including Tunde Folawiyo, are likely to have heard of.

Vanniekerks’ online efforts enabled him to complete his DofE Award, had a profound impact on many South African communities, and resulted in him continuing in this field of work after he finished the programme. His involvement inspired him to continue to focus on youth development, and led to him participating in a Youth Parliament session. He also join VOSESA (the Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa) as a youth leader, and attended one of their conferences, at which, he discussed the expansion of programmes around the country and, he said, became even more inspired about youth development.

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The DofE – changing the lives of participants and their communities

Recently, over 400 Scottish teens gathered together in Edinburgh, in order to collect their Gold awards. Anyone who is familiar with the DofE, like Tunde Folawiyo, will understand the significance of its Gold award ceremonies; the certificates handed out to participants represent years of dedication and hard work.

Tunde FolawiyoThe ceremony took place at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and was attended not only by the award recipients and their families, but also by a number of celebrities from the sport, entertainment, music and art industries. Some of the top names included David Murdoch, the Olympic curler, and Kevin Guthrie, the actor who starred in the production ‘Sunshine on Leith’.

A significant number of the recipients hailed from Inverness. These young people completed the volunteering section of the award by undertaking peer mentoring, working in charity shops, and by serving as Scout and Guide leaders. For the skills and physical recreation activities, the group chose archery, badminton and American football, and several of them learned how to play musical instruments.

Whilst each section of the award benefits the participants in one way or another, it is the volunteer work which is often said to be the most rewarding aspect of the programme. Those with a passion for youth development, such as Tunde Folawiyo, are no doubt aware that the simple act of helping others can have a profound effect on a young person’s character. But of course, in addition to helping individual participants to become better people, this section also has an incredibly positive impact on their communities.

Surveys carried out by the DofE show that the type of volunteering which participants choose to do varies widely, and includes everything from supporting charities, setting up eco-friendly groups and campaigning, to working as mentors, making clothes for premature infants, and helping out at local after-school clubs.

The commitment and compassion demonstrated by DofE volunteers has not gone unnoticed, and many are eager to give back to this charity, which has helped so many people over the years. For instance, three weeks ago, a group of 300 employees from Baker Tilly, an accountancy firm, set off for a cycling adventure, which saw them cover more than 660 miles over the course of ten days. The bike ride was set up as a fundraising event, in order to raise £10,000 for the DofE.

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Tunde Folawiyo | The Founding of the Distinguished Duke of Edinburgh Award

Tunde FolawiyoFounded by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in 1956, the DofE has long inspired millions of young people around the globe. The programme was established to serve as a positive influence for young boys, though girls were later introduced to the charity’s teachings. Promoting a variety of paramount life skills such as public service, fitness, expeditions and the thirst for new skill, the DofE shall ever serve as a positive influence in the lives of youth throughout the United Kingdom, Africa and beyond. Tunde Folawiyo and others with similar goals to encourage the self-discovery of today’s promising youth may be fascinated by the rich history of the DofE and how it has over time impacted the lives of millions.

During February of 1956, the DofE made its debut, targeted first at boys from the ages 15 to 18. It was designed largely by retired Army member John Hunt, who had also led the first club up Mount Everest during 1953. The Award was intended to attract youth who were uninterested in joining other youth movements aiming to foster the proper upbringing of the nation’s youth. Their first Award ceremony took place during 1956. Since then, the DofE has continued its mission of spreading goodwill and encouraging the further development of the next generation of young leaders.

The number of DofE programmes, as well as its population of participants has grown with each year since its founding in 1956. As of the year 2013, approximately 300,000 youth were participating in the charity’s programmes, utilising over 11,000 Award centres throughout the United Kingdom. These designated locations include youth clubs, schools and businesses. Today, more than five million young people throughout the UK had participated in the distinguished DofE programme, with the total amounting to eight million worldwide, demonstrating the wide scope the organisation has reached in their efforts to improve conditions for communities across the world.

Since its establishment, the DofE’s rich history of goodwill has been commended throughout the world. By providing a source of encouragement and guidance for its participants, the charity will remain a much valued entity in the quest to promote optimal self-discovery amongst youth. Tunde Folawiyo and others wishing to forge a lasting impact on today’s young people may contribute to the DofE so that it may continue to fulfill its mission of a brighter future for millions around the globe and the communities that they call home.

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Tunde Folawiyo | How the DofE is improving school attendance rates in Kenya

Although the Kenyan government has been going to great lengths to ensure that all children are provided with free primary education, many young people are unable to Tunde Folawiyoattend on a regular basis. Approximately 83% are enrolled, but only a fraction go to school every day. Particularly in remote areas such as Bartabwa, the challenging conditions which many families find themselves in make it difficult to prioritise schooling.

However, a number of young DofE participants in Kenya have been doing their best to rectify this situation. Tunde Folawiyo, and others who are familiar with the DofE, may know of Rachel Wanjohi; for the Services section of her Gold Award, Rachel decided to encourage children in Wairuri to attend their local primary school. After visiting the school, she saw that a lack of basic facilities, such as a library, sports equipment, first aid kits and clean water had deterred many parents from sending their children there.

Rachel launched a number of fundraising projects to address these problems; her initial efforts helped to raise KES 30,000, which was then used to purchase a water tank. Further fundraising work raised even more money, and gradually, as the school facilities improved, attendance rates began to increase. Rachel’s work vastly improved the quality of life for many children in the local area, and of course, also helped help to achieve her Gold Award. Since then, she has gone on to work as Kenya’s Ambassador for Tunza Eco-Generation, and now aims to promote the eco-friendly initiatives being organised around Africa.

Judy Chesire is another former DofE participant whose work had an enormously positive impact on the education system in Kenya. For the Services section of the Award, she decided to set up a programme called Education and Life Empowerment in the above-mentioned area of Bartabwa. She started off by arranging motivational talks, during which she and other guest speakers discussed the importance of education.

She then addressed the issue of staff shortages in the local school, by enlisting the help of her fellow university students, who were able to fill in as substitute teachers when necessary. In addition to this, she encouraged local children to see school in a different light, by making learning more enjoyable for them; she organised music and PE lessons, as well as games which helped children to view education as fun, rather than as a chore. As a result, both attendance rates and grade averages have risen dramatically in Bartawa. Her work led to her being recognised by the Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative, and attending a showcase for the foundation in London. Anyone who is familiar with the Peter Cruddas Foundation, like Tunde Folawiyo, will understand what an honour it is to be asked to participate in this type of event.

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Tunde Folawiyo | DofE success stories from Ghana

Whilst each country has its own amazing DofE success stories, the accomplishments of those who have completed the programme in Ghana are particularly impressive. Emmanuel Odoi Laryea, for example, chose to set up a plantation business for the Skills section of his Award. Using the knowledge he acquired during his time with the DofE, he managed to create a very successful company, which is still in operation today.

Tunde FolawiyoThe business has done wonders for the local community, providing several young people with jobs; currently, Emmanuel has 25 full-time employees, as well as dozens of temporary workers, who join the team during the harvest season. The plantation grows tick trees, which are chopped up and used for the construction of housing and electrical poles. In addition to running this enterprise, Emmanuel also works as a volunteer for the DofE in Ghana, serving as the Head of Programmes and Administration.

Judith Otabel and Jones Viduku are two other participants whose involvement in the DofE has resulted in significant improvements in the lives of many Ghanaian people. After some research, they observed that the schools in the village of Pepease had extremely low attendance rates. Those with an interest in education, such as Tunde Folawiyo, understand how serious an issue this is. Jones and Judith decided that they would work towards creating educational opportunities for the children in this village, as part of the Adventurous Journey Section of their Silver Award.

Initially, they carried out a house-to-house promotional campaign, which focused on helping parents to appreciate the value of education. Following the completion of this activity, they then served as teaching assistants in the primary school, and raised funds which were subsequently used to purchase learning aids and essential school materials.

Their initiative was a resounding success, with attendance rates soaring within a matter of months. Judith and Jones’ work led to them being nominated for a prestigious award known as the Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Initiative. This prize is one which most people, including Tunde Folawiyo, are familiar with; it recognises the most outstanding enterprises created by Gold DofE participants. Only those whose projects can be classed as exceptionally socially innovative, in regards to their engagement with local communities, sustainability or ethical values, are eligible for consideration.

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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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Tunde Folawiyo | Amey Partners with The Duke of Edinburgh Award

In keeping true to its commitment to guiding today’s youth toward bright futures, the Duke of Edinburgh Award welcomes Amey, one of the UK’s foremost leading public and regulated service providers as a pioneer partner in their Tunde Folawiyoefforts to promote goodwill among young people around the globe. Through the continual support of the many proponents of the charity including Tunde Folawiyo, the Duke of Edinburgh Award and its partnership with Amey will serve as a great source of inspiration for millions of students throughout the world.

The prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award has long inspired today’s brightest students and, as an organisation, continues to implement new initiatives in order to ensure these goals come to fruition. These efforts are none more evident than in the vast number of proud students who have successfully completed the programme since its establishment. The new national agreement brought forth by the organisation’s partnership with Amey will assist in allowing over 165,000 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in the teachings of the D of E across the UK and beyond. This exciting partnership stems from a close 12-year relationship with the D of E in which Amey has provided an immeasurable amount of support for students of the DofE and the charity’s goals as a whole. Through their efforts, over 220 apprentices are currently taking part in the programme with 36 apprentices have completed the Award requirements to date. In addition to their contributions to the D of E, Amey as a company promotes passion for community involvement within their employees, further demonstrating a commitment to the spread of goodwill.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is composed of four mandatory sections including fitness, skill, volunteering and adventurous journey. Participants must prove a great understanding of each in order to merit the prestigious award. Through a host of comprehensive exams and presentations, prospects will demonstrate excellence in a variety of areas to ensure their preparedness in initiating social change. As a not-for-profit organisation, the Duke of Edinburgh Award relies heavily on the continual encouragement and monetary support of various individuals and organisations in order to successfully maintain the operations of the programme. Those interested in contributing to the Duke of Edinburgh Award are encouraged to visit the organisation’s website at https://www.dofe.org/en/content/cms/supportus/.

Through numerous partnerships and the ongoing support of the programme’s proponents such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others throughout the world, the Duke of Edinburgh Award will continue to motivate and inspire young students to reach for a better tomorrow for the communities that surround them.

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International developments in the DofE | Tunde Folawiyo

Over the past six decades, the Duke of Edinburgh Award has become one of the UK’s most successful youth development programmes. Those who are familiar with the DofE, like Tunde Folawiyo, will probably know that its popularity overseas has also increased considerably in recent years; today, more than 120 countries participate in the DofE.Tunde Folawiyo

The enthusiasm for this award abroad has been astounding, with the participating nations taking a very active and engaged approach to their involvement. In Australia for instance, a brand new DofE committee has just been formed in Queensland. Those appointed will be expected to not only promote the award itself, but also to oversee all aspects of the programme, so as to ensure that everything – from the fundraising, to the supervising of activities – goes according to plan.

The committee members will hold these positions until December of 2015. This development was announced by John-Paul Langbroek, who serves as the Australian Education, Training and Employment Minister. Speaking to the press about the committee, Langbroek stated that he hoped these newly appointed people would bring ‘fresh ideas’ which will improve the quality of the programme.

As a supporter of youth development, Tunde Folawiyo might be aware that whilst Australia has been involved in the DofE for several decades, other countries like Bulgaria are still relative newcomers to the award, having first joined just five years ago. The programme was introduced to Bulgaria via an organisation called Future Now 2006, but only received its conditional license last month.

The bestowing of this license took place in the capital, Sofia; Jonathan Allen, the Queen’s Ambassador for Bulgaria was in attendance at this event. In a blog post he later published, he explained that this was not merely a work obligation he had to fulfil, but a ‘personal pleasure’, as he himself had taken part in the programme during his teens, and had learned a number of important lessons as a result of this participation. The President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev, also attended the event, so as to show his support for the award. It is hoped that the launching of this programme in Bulgaria will help young Bulgarians to achieve their professional aspirations, and encourage them to become more involved in the charity sector, which is reliant upon voluntary workers.