96 Ghanaian Youths Receive Head of State Awards

By Edmund Mingle

Vice President Amissah-Arthur welcoming
Prince Edward to the Flagstaff House

The Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, yesterday jointly presented the Head of State Awards (HOSA) to 96 young enterprising Ghanaians who have excelled in various fields of endeavour.

The awards scheme, which is under the auspices of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award scheme, is to honour young people who have thrived to make achievements changing society through selfless contributions and innovation means.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur and Prince Edward presented Gold Awards to the 96 awardees who have already won the mandatory bronze and silver award categories that qualified them to compete for gold.

The two sides holding a meeting before the awards ceremony

HOSA is a positive challenge that provides an ‘out of classroom’ self-development and learning opportunities for young people.

It facilitates their personal development through life experiences, experiential learning and skills development.

The awards ceremony, which was held at the Flagstaff House in Accra, had the theme, celebrating the achievements of young people.”

Vice President Amissah Arthur and Prince Edward in a pose with the awardees

Vice President Amissah-Arthur, congratulated the awardees for the achievement, and lauded the objective of the scheme, which he said has helped to unearth talents in young people.

He was happy that most of the award recipients took part in various forms of community service, which he said was key in building the values of patriotism, self confidence, creativity to solve community challenges and environmental consciousness among the youth.

He described HOSA as a valuable partner in community and youth development, adding that the increasing number of awardees from Ghana demonstrates the ability of young people to act as agents of change.

The Vice President also commended Prince Edward for visiting Ghana to support the event, and assured HOSA of government’s continued support and cooperation.

Prince Edward, for his part, noted that since its launch 60 years ago, the Award has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives.

“Through innovation, creativity and non formal education, the Award continues to play a critical role in the development of young people,” he said, adding that the scheme has produced remarkable stories across the globe.

According to him, the award, which currently covers 140 countries, continue to inspire young people to engage in community service and contribute towards provision solutions to developmental challenges.

He also congratulated the awardees for the achievement, and urged them utilised the skills and knowledge gained in the process to continue make positive impact on society.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Minister of Youth and Sport, in his remarks, gave the assurance that the Ministry would offer the needed support to ensure that it is expanded in Ghana to unearth more talents across the country.

Prince Edward interacting with some of the awardees