SADC Awards Learners for Essays on Poverty

from All Africa

BuaNews (Tshwane)

By David Masango
Lusaka

Six learners have been awarded at the 2007 SADC Secondary Schools Essay Competition, for their salient thoughts on poverty, which is one of the major challenges facing the region.

The awards were conferred to the young thinkers during the 27th SADC Heads of State and Government Summit in Zambia, Thursday.

The learners were required to write an essay on the topic: "What do you think are the causes of poverty in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and what steps should be taken by SADC Member States and non-state actors to eliminate poverty?"

Winner for the overall region and for Zambia were announced at the event.

In the regional category, Diana Kawendu of Zimbabwe won first prize, receiving a certificate and $1500; Gerald Chimbga of Zimbabwe took second place and received a certificate and $1000 and John Paul Palmers of Tanzania got the third prize and received a certificate and $750.

Announcing the regional winners, Lesotho's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations Mohlabi Tsekoa, explained that the competition was introduced to encourage the youth to participate in regional initiatives.

"Fittingly the youth of SADC should be seen as the future of this region," he declared, adding that the topic was informed by the region's aim to eradicate poverty.

"The finding of adjudicators was that there was understanding of issues facing SADC and that there was much research done in the process," he said.

Excerpts from the winning essay cited the causes of poverty as, amongst others, colonialism, political unrest, floods and drought, gender imbalance, lack of adequate education, and trade barriers.

The first place for the Zambian national category went to Corniwell Chinipa; second place went to Memory Molapi while Mdleleka Mofhudzi got the third place.

Announcing the Zambian winners, the Minister of education of the Republic of Zambia Geoffrey Lungwangwa said the learners who entered the competition were "passionate" and had "dedicated their minds and analysis" to the issue of poverty eradication in the region.