Cover to Cover winners rewarded

News
A total of 25 students from across the country won writing awards in the 2013 Cover to Cover awards at a ceremony held in the capital last week.

A total of 25 students from across the country won writing awards in the 2013 Cover to Cover awards at a ceremony held in the capital last week.

BY OUR STAFF

Cover to Cover is an Alpha Media Holdings magazine project in conjunction with World Vision, Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust and Edgars Stores Limited.

Winners were drawn from four different categories — Grade 6 and 7, Form 1 and 2, Form 3 and 4 and Form 5 and 6, with each category bearing varying topics.

Swedish Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Lars Ronnas (pictured) told parents and pupils at the event that imagination has no boundaries.

“I believe that young people, in particular, are very good to imagine. You are curious, and rightly so. That goal of making everyday life better for ordinary people, would not have happened unless there were those who kept saying: imagine that this would be possible,” he said, adding that when one combines imagination with knowledge and a dose of determination, then anything could happen.

“Imagine, people said some 10, 15 years ago, let’s reduce poverty drastically. Let us halve the number of people who live in real poverty by the year 2015. Somehow the world leaders agreed to that goal, a Millennium Development Goal. It was a huge challenge,” he said.

The Standard Editor Nevanji Madanhire said in every corner of Zimbabwe there were children with creative genius but the opportunity to tell their story was previously not there.

“The Standard provided children with the chance to come out of their shell. We had stories flowing in from every corner of Zimbabwe,” he said.

The topics in the various categories demanded creativity out of pupils, ranging from themes such as The old man told us what happened, We will keep doing the right thing and I never took her seriously, among others.

Culture Fund executive director, Farai Mpfunya applauded The Standard for playing a vital role in supporting literary arts as well as parents who encourage their children to read and write.

“The strong participation of young girls and children from all corners of Zimbabwe makes this initiative truly inclusive, an aspect that is critical as our country seeks new ways of understanding the diversity of our thinking, preferences and world views,” he said.