ACP winners of ‘Drawing a better world’

School children from Zimbabwe, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago are among the winners of the European Commission's (EC) International Drawing Competition on Gender Equality, announced on 29 June.

Each winner will be given €1,000 to spend on computers, books or pay for school, library fees or other educational materials. The winning drawings were picked by pupils of between eight and 10 years of age at the European School in Brussels, Belgium, the same ages as the entrants.

It is the fifth year that the European Commission has organised the competition. It was open to children in countries in the seven regions: Africa (two regions), Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, Latin America, Mediterranean, the Middle East and the European Neighbouring Countries of the EU. Over 40,000 children sent in their visions of how to make the world a fairer and more equal place. The 14 prize winners came from 13 countries.

Aristotelis Bouratsis, Director for Human and Social Development at the EC’s Development and Cooperation Europaid Directorate General (Devco) said: “This drawing competition, although a simple idea, is a very successful tool in helping to bring about change in gender equality through future generations, so I am delighted to see so many children keen to be a part of it”.

The entries were judged on their success to put over the theme and ability to relate it to the entrants’ respective countries, as well as the degree of originality of subject matter and artistic flair.

In Africa, this year's overall winners are: Zimbabwean Tapawa Kabaura, aged nine; Eritrean, Abigail Alem, aged 10; Nestor Bassou, aged nine from the Central African Republic and Mauritian, Fardeen Jumun, aged 10.

The winners for the Caribbean and Pacific, Shalinda Ragbir, aged 10 and Kelly Sammy aged 10, are both from Trinidad and Tobago. An exhibition of the best drawings will be mounted at the Musée des Enfants in Brussels, Belgium, 7-26 December 2011.

For more on the competition:

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/gender/drawing-competition-2011_en.htm

Debra Percival