Pat on the back and three kisses from Harry
THREE lucky young women scored some personal attention — and even a kiss — from Prince Harry during the final days of his trip to South Africa.
That’s because Emma Dicks, 23year-old Patrice Madurai and Nosipho Bele were the inaugural South African winners of the 2015 Queen’s Young Leaders Award, an initiative that was launched last year by Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.
The programme celebrates the achievements of outstanding young people from across the Commonwealth who work to change people’s lives.
The three accompanied Prince Harry on a visit to Siyabonga Secondary School in Soweto on Thursday.
Bele, 26, was chosen thanks to her personal initiative, Mentor Me to Success, “a project that provides one-on-one mentoring to matric pupils from underprivileged schools, assisting them with tertiary and funding applications and increasing their chances of being accepted at a tertiary institution”.
The Cape Town teacher believes the award has brought “attention” to the work she does in her community.
Of her meeting with Prince Harry, she said: “I did not know what to expect really.
“I was excited and looking forward to his presence. He was warm and welcoming to us and the students of Siyabonga.”
The prince joined the pupils on beanbags in the school’s modest library and shared advice on how to better conduct their lives.
“He encouraged us as the first Queen’s Young Leaders to create more people like us in the country — to have a network of young people who will work towards making South Africa a better country to live in,” Bele said.
“And the goodbye kisses on both cheeks that we got from him were also a highlight.”
Dicks, 26, is the co-founder of Innovate South Africa, a platform that seeks to nurture invention and encourage entrepreneurship among young people.
Madurai’s The Cupcake ReSolution was awarded for its work in helping people in rural and impoverished communities to apply for and acquire IDs.
The 2016 winners of the Queen’s Young Leaders will be announced by Buckingham Palace this week.