K100,000 up for grabs in student’s poetry competition: Free Expression Institution
Young school-going children and students aged between eight and and eighteen have a life-changing chance to win up to a whooping Mk100, 000 in a poetry writing competition, courtesy of the Free Expression Institute.
Board member for Institute of Free Expression Institution (FEI) Martines Namingha disclosed this in Malawi’s at Lilongwe Hotel during a press conference recently that there will be three categories of the competition with winners of each category going away with at least K100, 000.
“Children aged between 8 and 12 will compete in a juniors category while those aged from 13 to 18 will vie for the seniors gong,” Namingha said.
He added that the Free Expression Institute is also running a separate competition for the visually impaired whose winner will also go away with K100, 000.
“There will be other consolation prizes in form of cash and other assorted items,” he said adding: “Winners in the students’ categories will receive individual awards, as well as awards for their respective schools.”
The competition opened on May 20 with entries being received by post via P.O. Box 30575, Capital City, Lilongwe 3 or P/Bag 217, Lilongwe.
Contestants are free to write on any subject in English or any Malawian language.
“All entries must include contestants’ full name and address and contact phone number. For those contesting in the students categories, entries must also include the name and phone number of their headmaster or school teacher,” Namingha, who is a former Chair of the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA) Malawi chapter said.
Namigha a journalist and publisher of the now defunct tabloid The dispatch, said closing date for the competition is June 20 and added winners will be given awards at a special ceremony on July 20.
Speaking at the same press conference, Free Expression Institute National Coordinator veteran journalist and former editor of the folded up Chronicle newspaper and publisher of the Champion sports newspaper, Peter Jegwa Kumwenda and the institute’s Programme Officer, Leon Matanda said the poetry competitions were being held as part of honouring people who died during the July 20, demonstration of the year 2011, at the height of former president, Bingu wa Mutharika’s rule.
“July 20 has become an important date due to events that took place on this date in 2011,” Jegwa Kumwenda said.
Matanda revealed that Free Expression Institute will also give out awards to an institution or individual who has contributed immensely towards the realisation of free speech and blogger.
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