Durban — Three St Mary’s DSG Kloof pupils were presented with gold awards at the Duke of Edinburgh’s President Award ceremony in Pretoria this week.
Georgina Kennedy, Charlotte Rudd and Trinity Kilmartin received the internationally recognised award, created by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, to inspire young people to get involved in their communities.
The programme assesses and evaluates the number of hours contributed towards sport, skills, service, adventurous journey and residential projects. Awards in gold, silver and bronze are presented.
Georgina, 17, said the experience of having a conversation with Prince Edward and listening to his speech was surreal, and it was something she would always remember.
“He was extremely down to earth and interested in what we had to say about our experience with the award.
“His speech made me realise the importance of the younger generation learning to give back, especially in a country like South Africa. If you are in a privileged enough position to help those in need, then you should integrate service into your life, which will help you realise that it’s not a chore but an extremely fulfilling experience.”
Georgina, who is in matric, said this award reflected all her contributions across her four years in high school.
St Mary’s DSG teacher Wendy Charity said it was exciting to have the opportunity to travel to Pretoria to attend the prestigious event and talk with the prince.
“He is very personable and took a sincere interest in the experiences the girls had in completing the award. Sometimes it is easier to become insular and only focus on what you and your school are achieving, but to be at that event was to realise the international implications of this award and how what we do can, and does, have an impact on a broader scale,” she said.
Charity added that these awards and this visit would help encourage the girls to get involved in the award and facilitate the completion of the award on all levels.
Independent on Saturday