NAIROBI, October 29 /PRNewswire/ --
- Mbegu Trust Announces Winners of Dear Barack Obama / Dear John McCain Nationwide Schools' Competition - Obamamania Sweeps Kenyan Secondary Schools - 879 Schools and 13,959 Students Take Part - Over one Million Ksh Prize Money Awarded - Seven out of Eight Winners are Girls
The Mbegu Trust today announced the eight winners and 24 runners-up of its high profile 'Dear Barack Obama - Dear John McCain' competition, selected out of the 13,959 students from 879 schools across Kenya that took part. Of the eight winning students and schools, two are from Central Region, two from Eastern, and one each from the Coast, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Nairobi regions. Seven of the eight winners are girls. The winning students will each receive 20,000 Ksh and their schools 100,000 Ksh. Runners-up will receive 2,500 Ksh each.
The winning entries and those of the runners up plus further information regarding the competition can be viewed via the project's websites: http://www.write2barackobama.com and http://www.write2johnmccain.com
Of the nearly 14,000 entries to the competition, 11,586 (87%) were addressed to Barack Obama and 2,373 (13%) to John McCain. 55% of the entries were from girls and 45% from boys. The majority of the entrants were aged from 16 to 19 years old.
The student's questions and letters ranged across a wide variety of subjects including racism, the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism and the attitude towards Muslims, the world economy, empowering Africans, gender equality, and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
This year's election of the 44th President of the United States has caught the imagination of people across the world but especially in Kenya because of the Kenyan origins of the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama whose father was from Kenya and whose grandmother still lives in Kisumu in Nyanza Region.
The competition, launched in September by the Mbegu Trust, a Nairobi-based charity established to support the development of education in East Africa, asked secondary school students in Kenya to write a question and short letter to one or both of the principal candidates in the election of the new President of the United States.
The aim of the project was to inform the young people of Kenya about the history, political and electoral process of the United States and to inform the people of the United States about the hopes, concerns and needs of young people in Kenya. The project was sponsored by Kenol Kobil and Air Kenya and received official recognition and valuable support from Kenya's Ministry of Education.
The Mbegu Trust has been delighted by the overwhelming response to the competition. Dr Vickie Ndibo, one of the Trustees of the Mbegu Trust, said,
When we launched this competition we went as far as we could to reach as many students as possible but the sheer volume of responses has exceeded our wildest expectations. We have had the privilege of personally reviewing many of the entries as they flooded into our office and the quality, insight and vision of the students is incredible and very, very moving.
The entries were judged by a panel of 15 judges drawn from Kenya, the United States and the UK (see websites for details). Prizes were awarded for the most original contributions and the best, most pertinent questions.
Waweru Njoroge who helped judge the competition, said,
This competition has been absolutely amazing and I am proud to have been involved, just reading the range of responses from across the country reminds us of what great young people we have in Kenya. At the same time, the serious nature of a number of the questions and the letters is an important reminder of the issues we face, which are increasingly being carried by the young.
Another judge, Associate Professor John Brooks from the University of North Texas, said of the entries that,
... many of them were very thoughtful, challenging and even tender. It was a pleasure and a privilege to read them.
Lord Anthony St. John, a member of the UK's House of Lords and also one of the competition's judges, added that,
There were some very poignant issues raised.
The recipients of the awards, listed in alphabetical order (there is no ranking in the groups), are as follows:
Winners
- Tabitha Olang' Atieno / Age: 16 yrs / St. Mary's Lwak Girls School - Mohamed Ahmed Ismail / Age: 16 yrs / Aga Khan High School, Mombasa - Winnie Cherop Kirui / Age: 18 yrs / Loreto High School- Matunda - Mary Consolata Musembi / Age: 17 yrs / Fr. Heeran High School - Bilha N. Musima / Age: 18 yrs / Alliance Girls High School - Tabitha Wangui Mwangi / Age: 17 yrs / Chogoria Girls High School - Helen Kendi Mweti / Age: 17 yrs / Precious Blood Riruta Secondary School - Maureen Atieno Owour / Age: 18 yrs / St. Teresea Girls School, Nairobi
Runners-up
- Benjamin Donnan / Age 14yrs / St. Andrews Senior School - Faith Haida / Age 17yrs / Mwasere Girls High School - India John Kennedy / 16yrs / Maseno School - Jacob Chumo Kemboi /17 yrs / Holy Trinity School Saboti - Glory Gatkiiri Kithinji / 16yrs / St. Marys Girls High School - Martin Kinyua /20yrs / Keeru Boys Secondary School - Philemon Komen / 17yrs / Kapsowar Boys Secondary School - Carol Njeri Maina /17yrs/Warazo Jet Secondary School - Ivan Waynes Masitza /15yrs / Wareng High School - Njeri Mbuthi /17yrs / Loreto High School-Limuru - Marlon Ngondi Mugo / 17yrs / Muhoho High School - Claudio N. Mutua /18yrs / St. Charles Lwanga- Kitui - Lemmy Kinyua Mwangi / 16yrs / Giakanja Boys High School - Rebecca Akoth Ngonga / 15yrs / Ogande High School - Samuel Gachohi Njuguna / 16yrs / Kiambu High School - Sharon Gesara Nyakundi / 16yrs / Alliance Girls High School - Britner Nyantika/ 18yrs / Maranda High School - Owiti Paul Odhiambo / 15yrs/ Maseno School - Joyce Apudo Omalla / 15yrs / Alliance Girls High School - Stellah Chepkorir Rotich / 15rys / Oloomirani High School - Matthew Saisi / 17yrs / Sunshine Secondary School - Eunice Wangari Wambui / 19 yrs /: Eastern Star Girls Academy - Tabitha Wambui / 17yrs / Mama Ngina Girls Sec. School - Jack Were /19yrs / Likoni Secondary School
The competition is awarding over Ksh 1 million/ in prizes, with Ksh 20,000/ going to each of the winners and Ksh 100,000 to their respective schools, and a further 24 awards of Ksh 2,500 to 24 runners up.
The prizes will be distributed during the month of November, and a prize-giving event will take place at the end of the month.
Notes to Editors
Gallery Event, Thursday 30 October 2008
The Mbegu Trust is hosting a Gallery to showcase the winning entries on Thursday 30 October, from 10h00 to 17h00, at the Mbegu Trust's offices in Argwings Kodhek Grove.
For further information please contact info@mbegutrust.com or call +44(0)20-387-5338.
About the Mbegu Trust
The aim of the Mbegu Trust is to develop education in East Africa, to plant a little seed - 'panda mbegu ndogo' in Swahili - of knowledge and opportunity.
Copies of the questions and letters to Senator Obama and Senator McCain submitted by winners and runners-up are available on request. See below for contact details.
For further information please contact: Kenya: - Martin Minns / Project Coordinator / +254-712-355-579 / wpress@globalnet.co.uk - Vickie Ndibo / Mbegu Trust Trustee / +254-727-102-177 / vmn4@columbia.edu International: - Jennifer Morgan / Int'l Public Relations Consultant / +44-20-7861-8609 / jmorgan@bell-pottinger.co.uk
For further information please contact: Kenya: - Martin Minns / Project Coordinator / +254-712-355-579 / wpress@globalnet.co.uk; - Vickie Ndibo / Mbegu Trust Trustee / +254-727-102-177 / vmn4@columbia.edu; International: - Jennifer Morgan / Int'l Public Relations Consultant / +44-20-7861-8609 / jmorgan@bell-pottinger.co.uk
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