Dear Friends,Thank you to everyone who joined us on 8th of June at Limuru Girls School, Kiambu, Kenya for the Digital Essay Competition (DEC) 2024 Secondary School launch event. Special thanks to the school principal, Mrs. Susan Kariuki, for allowing us to host the event at the school. With us that day at Limuru Girls were Hamim Mohamed, 2023 finalist in the Kiswahili Secondary category and Splendor Kavere, a DEC winner in 2018 in Primary school, G.F.E. Tumaini in Kakamega, now in Form 2 at Limuru Girls. We were honored to have Poet Scolastica Moraa, Dr. Amb. Joshua Ole Kaputa, Director John Temba, Dr. John G. Kimotho, Madam Sheilah Lutta, and many friends and colleagues, including the ChezaCheza Dance Foundation team, whose amazing talent energized everyone.
Highlights from the event:
“Art can take you to places you never thought possible. Art is the reason I am standing before you today. As you pursue your ambitions, you can also write your story.” Scholastica Moraa, Kenyan poet.
“I am proud to be one of those who midwifed the Digital Essay Competition. Embrace technology in your writing.” John Temba, Director, Ministry of Education.
“Inclusivity is a discussion that we cannot sweep under the carpet. It is one thing to be included; it is another to join and participate.” Sheilah Lutta, Directorate of Special Needs Education.
DEC 2024 is open for entries through 31st July. We invite all upper primary and secondary school students to submit their essays at essay.ekitabu.com.
The DEC 2024 Primary and Junior Secondary school question is: “How can we take care of our environment at home and in school?”
The DEC 2024 Secondary school question is: “How can students contribute to addressing climate change in their communities and globally?”
The entry categories are English, Kiswahili, Art, Kenyan Sign Language, braille, French, German, and Arabic.
Also for DEC 2024, on 14th June, we joined the French Embassy in Kenya at the Alliance Française de Nairobi Auditorium for the official French launch of DEC 2024 with over 180 Kenyan French students in Primary and Secondary schools. We were honored to have M. Bernard Clouteau, Attaché de coopération pour le français, grace the event and share his enthusiasm for the role of young Kenyan women in addressing climate change. With the sponsorship of the French Embassy, this year DEC will also offer a special category with a special question: What is the role of young women in the Solar Energy Sector? This special category is open to young women and girls in Junior Secondary, Secondary, or TVET, with submissions accepted in any of the DEC languages listed above. Any questions, please reach out to us at essaycontest@ekitabu.com.
Best of luck to all learners participating in the DEC 2024: we look forward to reading what you write!Warmest regards,Will