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Did you know that our Youth Development Programme can be used for your Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award?

We have recently been accredited as an Approved Activity Provider (AAP) with DofE, and our Youth Development Programme can be used for your Gold DofE residential. Taking place next summer, these 10-night trips give you the chance to travel to Ghana, Kenya, or Zanzibar and contribute to meaningful change at our partner projects. In your downtime, you’ll be able to explore everything your destination has to offer on one of our unique adventure activities.

You may be wondering what qualifies us to have this accreditation. Read on to find out…

First, the simple stuff

You’ll spend 10 nights in Ghana, Kenya or Zanzibar next summer as part of a team of 16-19-year-olds. The minimum requirement for a DofE residential is five nights and four days.

You’ll take part in a shared experience in an unfamiliar environment

Our Youth Development Programme gives you the opportunity to explore your destination with other young people from all over the UK. It’s one thing immersing yourself in a different culture, but having the opportunity to share this with other, like-minded people will add to your experience. In fact, we are confident that your trip will open your mind to new interests and possibilities – which is the whole point of a DofE residential!

DofE residentials encourage you to meet new people. Pictured here are a group of our volunteers.
DofE residentials encourage you to meet new people. Many volunteers return from Africa with new friends and a new perspective.

You’re likely to return with a much larger group of friends than you flew out with

The idea of travelling abroad with people you’ve never met before can be daunting. You may decide to sign up to our Youth Development Programme with a small group of friends, but, even if you opt to go it alone, you can rest assured that many of our volunteers return from their trip having forged new friendships in Africa.

You’ll spend your evenings with your group, socialising together and planning your volunteering work. It’s a great bonding experience – perfect for your DofE residential.

Finally, you’ll have our support at every step of the way

From the moment you sign up, you’ll be supported by our friendly UK team, who will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. Our exclusive online portal – My African Adventure (My AA) – contains everything you need to prepare for your trip and provides tips and tricks for reaching your fundraising target. Finally, our in-country teams are all local to the communities where we work, so you’ll be in safe hands throughout your trip.

If this sounds ‘gold standard’ to you, find out how you can sign up to the Youth Development Programme on our website.

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Are you ready for an African Adventure?