Ahead of The Earthshot Prize Awards, Prince William is getting the most out of his visit to Cape Town, South Africa as he can.
The Prince of Wales went to meet young people from three townships – Ocean View, Langa, and Masiphumelele at Ocean View Secondary School.
The Prince was there to learn about the digital skills program run by the Atlas Foundation and to highlight rugby training. The rugby programme at the school allows mentorship for students while helping to create a safe space to keep them away from gangs.
It’s no secret that the Prince of Wales is a fan of sports, especially rugby and football. In past engagements, he’s expressed how sports can help one’s physical and mental well-being.
The Prince took part in rugby coaching sessions with those at Ocean View and Masiphumelele High Schools on the playing fields. Joel Stransky, a former South African rugby spoke to PEOPLE Magazine about the visit, saying ”he was amazing. He was one of the boys, humble and upright human being. I ran into him in the drill, and he was really cool about it. What was cool too was he comes into this environment and talks to kids from different walks of life and different backgrounds. To chat to the kids the way he did and ask the right questions was really cool.”
“He’s a good ball player. You could see he’s a natural. I should think he loves it and doesn’t get enough chance to do it. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did.”
William also took time to take part in a digital skills lesson for primary children from Langa Township in an Atlas Digi Bus. The bus houses 40 laptops and gives elementary students from Langa Township a chance to focus on their STEM and digital literacy skills. On a weekly basis, the program works with nearly 1,000 kids.
Rugby and the national team, the Springboks, has a strong resonance with youth in the county. It’s one of the most popular sports and has a following of more than 10 million people. Back home in the United Kingdom, William is President of the Welsh Rugby Union.
The Earthshot Prize recognises people and organisations globally for their efforts in tackling environmental issues and climate change. Five winners will receive £1 million to help continue their efforts.
