#TheBahamas, March 7, 2023 – In a historic farm and cottage setting by the seaside, Royal visitors Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and Forfar, got a downhome taste of The Bahamas when more than 300 young people rallied round to say thank you for coming to our country and thank you for caring about our programme, the Governor General’s Youth Award.

The afternoon event packed with music, dance, laughter and moments of mingling with royals that GGYA members shall always remember, took place at the sprawling Maillis campground in the historic village of Adelaide, miles and seemingly worlds away from the bustling capitol of the city, Nassau.

There, on a tree and vegetable farm with small boats bobbing at the shoreline ready to catch the bounty of the sea, the royals were treated to an afternoon far different from the pageantry that accompanied them throughout the three days of their visit to The Bahamas in late February. With Prince Edward assuming the role his father, Prince Philip, had prior to his passing as chair of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, the two-fold visit was primarily to witness the Award in action at units that catered to young people who were deemed at risk or marginalized, and present awards to participants receiving their Gold Award through GGYA, the local version of the program.

Countess Sophie visited the Willie Mae Pratt Centre for Girls and got a firsthand look at what the girls were doing to complete their Award journey there.  She also presented a Bronze Award to one participant who had recently completed that level.

On another part of the island Prince Edward was able to visit the SURE Programme and, while there, met with the volunteers and participants involved in GGYA.  The Earl, as he was being briefed on the offerings for the young men at the school, was given a full tour of the facility, and was able to chat with the boys while they engaged in cooking, baking, and boat-building.

The visits to these centres were key evidence in the programme’s aim to extend the reach of the GGYA since they were recently given a grant from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Special Projects Fund to get programmes started at five centres that catered to young people living with special needs, and those living in juvenile detention centres on New Providence and Grand Bahama.

The awards were presented on February 23 at a ceremony at Breezes where 13 young people received the highest award in the organization, the Gold Award, signifying they had completed every rung of a ladder that includes service, skills, and physical recreation. Gold participants must also undertake a residential project interacting with people away from their homes for five days and four nights, and complete a 4-day expedition or adventure – part of their path to success.

The program is the largest non-formal education framework for young people worldwide, inspiring more than one million participants in 130 countries to become involved in their communities while finding their own purpose, passion and place in the world.

While participants at the ceremonial occasion walked away with medals recognizing the level of their achievement, they showed another side at the “Royal Rally” event, on February 24, where connecting with the royals took on a different perspective. Participating GGYA Units from schools across New Providence, were stationed at various tents displaying an array of activities that they engage in to achieve their Award.

At the start of the afternoon event, the guests were treated to a selection of song and dance.  However, to truly kick off the celebratory event was a newly formed Conchy Band led by Mr. Christian Justillien, that certainly got the entire audience on their feet – royal party included, leaning into the music, as the band showed up drumming talents and other members playing the melodious conch horns. The Earl Prince Edward and Countess Sophie then took their time visiting, chatting with, and engaging with each activity on display. While the sounds of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Pop Band permeated the air, The Earl and Countess helped a students from the different units with shell craft, junkanoo pasting, painting, and interacted with young people who did a quick turn around on their kayaks and sail boat.  The Earl was particularly interested in the sailing, while Countess was delighted to show her braiding skills with some other participants. One former GGYA gold achiever, Edwin Johnson, returned to his alma mater, CC Sweeting High School, formed a GGYA unit that now has more than 70 participants, believed to be one of the largest group from any unit in The Bahamas.

“The first time we went to a family island, Eleuthera, it was shocking. We slept in tents on the campus of Preston Albury High School. It rained, water came into the tent and when we woke up, we were soaked. We had to cook that night by making a fire on the rocks, we made white rice and ground beef and then, on the second night, we cooked fried chicken and mashed potatoes on the rock stove by the beach,” said a student from Anatol Rodgers in Nassau, mirroring a similar experience shared by a student from The Beacon School in Freeport, Grand Bahama.

Both students agreed – the rain may have dampened their clothes, but not their spirits and both students said learning a bit about cooking made them stronger.

The high energy afternoon rally at the campground was capped off with a tree planting and Junkanoo rush out led by teens from Jordan Prince William High School.

Throughout their two-day visit, the royals were accompanied by the dignified Governor General of The Bahamas, Sir Cornelius A Smith who sits as patron of the GGYA.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defense Force bands took turns showcasing their musical talents wherever they went in the land of sunshine and blue skies, and the royals were applauded for bringing their own genuine warmth.

Release: DPA News

Photo Captions: 

Header:  Prince Edward and Countess Sophie thoroughly enjoyed the Rake & Scrape sounds of the Conchy Band led by Chris Justillien with foot stopping music emanating from conch shell horns and goat skin drums

1st insert:  Prince Edward along with GGYA National Director, Jacquetta Maycock, chatting at the rally with students making Junkanoo costumes

2nd insert:  Hon. Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for Education and Technical and Vocational Training (center), Mr. Pericles Maillis, and HRH Prince Edward plant a tree to commemorate their visit

3rd insert:  Countess Sophie jumps right in to finish a hair braid with talented GGYA students from CC Sweeting Senior High School who demonstrated hair braiding and styling as their vocation at the Rally

4th insert: Countess Sophia with excited students showing off their Bahamas flag crafts at the rally