Seventy-five students of the University Practice Senior High School (UPSHS) in Cape Coast, Central Region, were last Friday awarded certificates for the Bronze and Silver medal categories of the Head of State Award (HOSA) Scheme-Ghana for volunteering service in deprived communities.
Forty-five received silver medals and 30 took home bronze medals.
The awardees are eligible to move on to participate in the Gold medal category expedition in October to qualify for the award to be presented to them by the President.
The headmaster of UPSHS, Charles Agyapong-Boamah, Assistant Head for Academics, Raymond Asante and headmistress of Aggrey-Memorial SHS and Ambassador for the HOSA Scheme-Ghana, Ms Kate Wilberforce Annan, presented the certificates to the students at a ceremony held at the UPSHS on the theme “Equipping the youth for the future through non-formal education.”
The certificates were signed by the Duke of Edinburgh and the patron of Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, Prince Edward and Peter Akai Anum, Executive Director of HOSA Scheme-Ghana.
The HOSA Scheme-Ghana is an affiliate of Edinburgh’s International Award Scheme involving 130 countries worldwide that aims to inspire young persons to make a difference through developing transferable skills, increasing their fitness levels, cultivating sense of adventures and volunteering in their communities.
Ms Annan, urged the awardees to strive to acquire knowledge and skills outside of the classroom environment and be selfless, adding “allow yourself to be nurtured and molded to impact society, and sacrifice to do things to touch the lives of people in society.”
“The future of this country depends on you, you have to learn the skills today and stand your ground to fight for your country, in whatever you do, think of the goodness of society, you can do a lot to improve the lives of other people without necessarily spending money.”
Mr Agyapong-Boamah urged the students to imbibe the spirit of sacrifice and be selfless, pointing out that “when you are able to help transform lives of other persons in society to be good, that is when you also become better persons. Be ambassadors of HOSA and live by the spirit of the certificates awarded you.”
The patron of the HOSA Club in UPSHS, Evelyn Grace Annan, a teacher and 2004 HOSA Gold awardee, urged the award winners to participate in the Gold award expedition next month to qualify and gain the privilege to be decorated by the President.
James Boateng, an award winner, told the Ghanaian Times that the programme enabled them to acquire more skills and knowledge outside the classroom environment, and also undertook community service, during their expedition to the Ajumako/ Enyan/ Essiam communities.
FROM ALHAJI SALIFU ABDUL-RAHAMAN, CAPE COAS
