English word spelling bee competition kicks off in Malawi schools

Season 4 of the National Spell Master Spelling competition came to life on Sunday 8th November, 2015 at St Patrick’s International Academy in Blantyre.

About 170 students stepped to the microphone in front of a huge and swelling audience to showcase their individual brilliance in spelling out mostly used words in English Language.

Stealing the show at the competition was Tadala Masamba-the only student from a public school (from a Nanjiriri Primary) who got all his words spelt correctly in all the three rounds.

At the centre of one of the spelling bee’s core objective of building confidence was the crowd favourite, six years old star Marwa Mumba from Bedir primary.

Though she didn’t make it to the regional bee, she was a marvel to watch full of confidence while on stage and always maintained her beautiful smile even during lower moments.

She however sent the jam parked hall into laughter when she was given a word to spell only to tell the chief pronouncer that she was not given the particular word on her practice sheet provided by her mother at home.

Out of 91 junior spellers, 36 have made it to the regional bee and only 10 out of the 91 junior spellers got all their three words in all the three rounds correctly.

The 79 senior spellers only three students of which all are girls scored three out of three and 17 senior spellers qualified for the regional bee.

The Juniors Category include Haggai Mpulula, Timothy Malenga, Violet Mulilima all from Blantyre Baptist Academy, Tapiwa Sanga from Rose Garden, Cecilia Banda – Young Ambassadors, Tadala Masamba – Nanjiriri, Christopher Mdolo – Namiwawa Private, Asante Chimwala – Bedir, Deborah Kachala – Baptist Christian, Mohammed Zishan – Hill View and Victoria
Otto of Phoenix International primary School and all got all their words correct in all the three rounds.

In the Seniors Category girls shone the brightest by  outsmarting the boys when three girls got all their words correct in all the three rounds correct thus; Jacquiline Malombe of St Patrick’s Int. Academy, Esther Khomba – Maranatha Girls and Lungile Banda of Joyce Banda Foundation.

The next spelling bee show is scheduled to take place on 21^st November, 2015 in Mzuzu.

According to the Foundr and Executive Director of Spell Master Media Foundation Lewis Mbaula, three top students in the seniors’ category in the grand finale  will represent Malawi at the SADC International Spelling Bee in Botswana in May 2016 being organized by the Office of the President of Botswana.

He further said the top three junior spellers will represent Malawi at the African Invitational Spelling Bee in Johannesburg, South Africa in July 2016.

Mbaula said at the heart of the spelling bee is the desire to enhance the reading culture, build vocabulary, build confidence, encourage public speaking and give educational exposure to children aged between six and seventeen.

The spelling bee is organized by Spell Master Educational Communications (SMECO), with technical support from the Department of Inspectorate and Advisory Services under Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and produced by First Dawn Arts with broadcasting partnership with Zodiak TV and radio.

The spelling bee is also a platform for companies and organizations to build their brands around children and education in Malawi.

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