Prince William Leaves Tanzanian Man 'Gobsmacked' By Talking To Him In Perfect Swahili At The Princess Diana Legacy Awards

Dec 03, 2019 by apost team

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, was attending an awards ceremony when he left a Tanzanian man "gobsmacked" by talking to him in flawless Swahili.

The 37-year-old Prince William was at a tea party at Kensington Palace for 20 recipients of the Princess Diana's Legacy Awards when he met with and spoke Swahili to 25-year-old Erick Venant. It wasn't just a simple phrase, either, it was an actual conversation.

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The moment was described by onlookers "as truly special." Organizers of the event told People Magazine that Prince William had taken the time to read up on all of the award recipients and had made a point of speaking to each one of them individually at the event; all in English, except for Venant, who is known to be more fluent in Swahili.

The Princess Diana's Legacy Awards is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and it honors the memory of Prince William's mother. The Awards are given to young people who are trailblazers, making a positive impact on their local community by advancing important causes.

Tanzania is a country in East Africa. It has many ethnic groups that all speak their own languages. Most Tanzanians grow up speaking their mother tongue and learn Swahili and English in school. Until recently, at the primary levels of education, the classes were conducted in Swahili and English was taught as a language skill.

However, in the higher levels of education, the classes were all taught in English and Swahili was only offered as a language skill. Quartz reports that in 2015, the government decided to change this and teach all classes at all levels in Swahili while continuing to offer English as a language skill.

Consider forwarding this interesting story to your friends and family about a selfless gesture that really made one person's day.