The voices of African youth have resonated loud and clear from across the continent as the winners to Corruption Watch’s writing competition, My Corruption Free Africa, were announced on 16 June as part of the organisation’s youth month activities.
The motivation for launching the Pan-African writing competition was to hear the stories and experiences of youth from around the continent, to highlight the extent to which corruption threatens to rob young people of their future.
In the final judging session, attention was given to the quality and content of the thirteen fictional stories and essays that made it to the final round, out of more than 100 entries, with the result that young people from four different countries have emerged as overall winners.
Wise Ngasa from Cameroon came out tops in first place with his moving fictional story, Clo goes to School, highlighting the corruption that takes place in schools in his country. Runner up Mapaseka Setlhodi, a young South African currently studying at UCT, impressed the judges with her innovative short story-essay on the state of our democracy in South Africa, while joint third place winners, Narissa Allibhai from Kenya, and Oluwamayowa Idowu from Nigeria, both presented compelling pictures of corruption in their respective countries.
Highlighting the importance of the youth constituency in combating corruption, Corruption Watch has partnered with dynamic youth content agency, Livity Africa, for its #VIPYouthFest in Braamfontein from 16 – 18 June, taking place at 73 Juta Street. Visitors to the festival will have the opportunity to take Corruption Watch’s Bribe Detector test, as part of an ongoing Twitter campaign to #ComeClean, a continuation of the #MyHandsAreClean campaign.
The three day event will feature live debates, music performances, poetry readings, comedy sketches, and a photographic exhibition, ending on Thursday 18 June with a live performance by Fiesta Black, performing her song Hayi Basile, written in collaboration with Corruption Watch.
To view the winning entries of My Corruption-Free Africa, please go to our website at: www.corruptionwatch.org.za
Download this press release as a PDF.
For more information:
Ronald (Lucky) Menoe – 072 577-8419
Moira Campbell – 083 995 4711
Livity Africa Profile
Livity Africa is a youth content agency that develops platforms, campaigns, ideas and social change… all created for young people, driven by young people. We work with young people to develop skills in content creation, media, marketing, digital and business entrepreneurship and connect them with employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. We also create our own platforms, like Live SA – www.livemag.co.za – where these skills and ideas come to life for a national audience of young people.
