Dear Friends,We’ve begun the 2020 Digital Essay Competition (DEC) with visits across Kenya to schools in Bungoma, Kakamega, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin-Gishu, Kiambu, Nyeri, Meru and Samburu Counties to recognize the schools that had DEC 2019 winners and finalists in Kiswahili, English, French, Art, German and Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) entries. The 2019 DEC winners included Splendor Kavere of Gfe Tumaini Primary School in Kakamega, Phanice Nyaboke of Thika High School for the Blind in Kiambu and Amos Baraza of Ebukuya Primary School for the Deaf in Vihiga, among others. We also recognized the schools and the teachers who had finalists and winners in 2019.In the past 7 years, DEC has engaged over 43,936 students and their teachers across all 47 counties of Kenya. Each year students participated in DEC by writing original essays and submitting them online at essay.eKitabu.com. Winners received scholarship money, computing devices and national recognition with MOE. Through DEC, learners—with the help of their teachers—develop and express their own ideas in their own voices. And they get feedback. Now in its 8th year, DEC has grown with the support of Kenya’s Ministry of Education, publishers, teachers, parents and students.I am glad to share with you that we are creating a network of students who participated in DEC since 2013. This network will help us get to know the needs of DEC alumni better, potentially to help them publish their work or help in other ways that we can only find out by staying in touch, as we have done with some since the beginning. If you or someone you know have ever participated in DEC, and you would like to be part of the DEC alumni network, please let us know at support@ekitabu.com.Finally, teachers, friends and DEC alums: please keep an eye on essay.ekitabu.com for the DEC 2020 question coming soon.Warmest regards,WillRead the entire newsletter here