Ebène SSS participates in Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Six participants of Ebène SSS undergoing their Gold Award for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award-Mauritius embarked upon this Residential Project. The students are of Form Five and Upper Six. They were assisted by Bronze and Silver participants who came on a daily basis.

All the six students have been together on the Adventurous Journey to Rodrigues back in November 2016. The Rector, Senior Educator, Administrative staff and Award Leaders also assisted them during those days of ‘work’.  They were also supervised by Mr V. Narrainen, the person in charge of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award-Mauritius and his team from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Being already aware about the RCPL Award Eco-Kiosk, a Residential Project launched with eight Gold Award participants of The Duke-RCPL a few years back at RCPL by Deepak Maunthrooa, the participants of the Duke-Ebène wished to do something for their college as well.  With emphasis being on cleaning and embellishment of the school this year, the idea of a Residential Project within the college cropped up. Having the welfare of their college at heart, the boys decided to forgo their first term holidays just for the sake of completing this Residential Project, a real challenge for them.

A real challenge 

It was a real challenge and a learning experience. The preparation began quite a few weeks before. After getting the permission from the authorities, parents had to be taken on board and a plan of action was prepared.  A list of all the necessary items had to be made, along with troubleshooting.  Preparation had to be done for the best and for the worst as well.    “Being at school during the day and being at school during the night is quite different.  The whole atmosphere changes, mainly for six lonely students but they were well looked upon by Award Leaders and officers of the Ministry as well as police officers.  The Rector even dropped over one night and a barbecue was organised for the little group, to give them a boost for the remaining days,” says Deepak Maunthrooa. 

On completion of the Residential Project, the participants wanted to stay more and this really shows their dedicated spirit for this task.  The Rector and the whole school community was much impressed by the work carried on when college resumed for the second term.  The participants as well as those who helped in this wonderful project were awarded a shield of recognition during the Prize Giving Ceremony of the college, a day which also marked Award distribution to students having completed their Bronze and Silver Awards, something happening for the first time at Ebène SSS-Boys.

“Getting the opportunity to spend four nights and five days at the college where I have been studying for the past four years is a great feat in itself. Not every student gets such an opportunity. The feat was all the more prestigious since we were there to embellish our college,” states Celine Louis, Form 5 student.

Duke of Edinburgh's International Award-Mauritius

Founded in 1956, the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award helps our youth to learn by way of non-formal education. This Award Programme has the benefit of transforming a person into a complete human being - if properly carried out, of course. With four sections and three levels, it is a personal achievement programme where one competes against...oneself. There is indeed no chance of losing but you have everything to lose if you are not able to complete it.

There are three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The sections are Skill, Service, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey (with Residential Project for those undertaking Gold). With a participant doing a physical activity, learning a skill, offering his/her services to the community and managing on his/her own during an adventurous journey for a minimum period of six months, a Bronze Award can be achieved. An assessor for each section is needed to evaluate the progress of that participant.

The Duke-Ebène was set up at Ebène SSS-Boys on 11-01-2016 by Deepak Maunthrooa, English Educator and Award Leader himself.  Beginning with a few boys, today the programme boasts around 300 participants embarking upon Bronze, Silver as well as Gold.  An Adventurous Journey had been organised last year in Rodrigues for 21 participants of Silver and Gold, a first for this institution of Ebène.