PA-Kenya’s Holiday Camp for youngsters

Kenya’s leading and most reputable youth development program, The President’s Award –Kenya, is holding a holiday camp for kids aged 8-20; to help them spend their leisure time positively and enable them have lots fun and adventure.

Dubbed ‘The compass Camp’ the holiday camp aims at making the youngsters ‘get their bearing right,’ as they journey through life’s experiences.

The camp will cover a lot of content that will impact positively on the kids’ character including decision making, public speaking, leadership skills, life skills and first aid among others.

This is a ’new concept’ said Christine, the organizer of the camp, as this is the first time President’s Award –Kenya is a holding camp for kids. Christine says they have always held team building activities for corporate organizations, but felt they were ‘locking out major stakeholders – “the young people”. The organization plans to hold the Compass camp during every school holiday.

The kids will be divided into different categories according to their age groups; with those between 8-13yrs holding their camp at The Splash Water World from 12th to 15th August; and those between 14-20yrs holding theirs at White Water Rafting in Sagana, from 24th -25th August.

Started in 1966, President’s Award-Kenya is part of the International Award, an exciting self-development programme for 14 to 25 year olds; now spread in 130 countries world wide.

The program aims at making the youngsters make positive change during their free time and ‘it is not career oriented.’

The International Award was founded by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956, in conjunction with Kurt Hahn, the German educationalist. Both were concerned that young people’s development was lacking in certain key areas, and therefore resolved to create a programme that would be a “do-it-yourself kit in the art of civilized living”.

In Kenya, the program is being run in more than 750 schools and institutions, and the President is usually the patron.

The award is presented in three attainment levels with four sections all of which must be tackled for one to attain an award in each level.

These four sections are community service, aimed at teaching the youngsters to give useful service to others, an adventurous journey, to help them develop endurance and a sense of discovery; skills, to encourage development of personal interests be it a hobby or a practical skill; and physical recreation, aimed at encouraging improved performance and physical fitness; where one is required to take up a sport of his choice or any other form of recreational activity.

There is specified minimum period of time that one should engage in activities in all the four , depending on which level of attainment one is in. The three levels are Gold, Silver and Bronze; with gold being for those over 16years,silver for those over 15 years and bronze for those over 14 years.

To gain a bronze award, one is supposed to have participated for a minimum period of six months while for the silver award, one is supposed to have participated for 12 months if he is a bronze holder or 18 months if he is a direct entrant.

One attains the Gold award after participating for a minimum period of 12 months if he is a silver holder, or for at least 18 months if he is a direct entrant.

Both silver and bronze awards are sent to the participants through their schools or institutions, but for the bronze awards, the participants are presented their awards by the president at State House, at a ceremony that happens once every year.

But one does not have to necessarily join the PA-Kenya program through the school or an institution.

There is the ‘open award’ where one joins the program as an individual, but there is a adult mentor who guides him or her and who communicates with the PA-Kenya office.

Joining the program is free but as a sign of commitment, one is required to buy a record book at Sh200; where his or her progress in all the four areas is recorded by an adult mentor.

One must however join ‘knowing that you want to improve yourself as you set your own target’ says Christine,’

‘When you deal with your time positively, it builds your character,’

Other packages that PA-Kenya offers include Sisterhood, a girls’ weekend out every last weekend of the month, packed with lots of fun and experiential learning for girls of all ages; and a father and son experience which is a bonding and exciting weekend for fathers and sons.

President Awards-Kenya offices are located at Upper Hill, 31 Elgon Road. To register for the Compass holiday camp or for more information on the PA-Kenya program, contact Christine on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call,0733556692, 0722 714122 or 020 2714829/30.