Thirteen-year-old Theo Nyalo Helen Davies, SSS 2 pupil at the Jonathan’s Child Ministries in Bo District has emerged as the winner of the fourth edition of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) national essay competition.
The 13-year-old expressed delight and felt grateful to UBA Sierra Leone for the initiative in calling for essay competitions for school pupils. “It is such an honour to stand here and receive a prize from UBA,” she added.
Expressing his delight, Davies disclosed that at the initial stage, she was doubtful whether she was going to emerge as the winner because she was nervous but eventually she sailed through and emerged winner. “This is my second time participating in this competition, but this is my first time winning,” she disclosed.
When asked what makes her outstanding in the competition, Davies revealed that she spent a lot of time practicing how to write essays. “You can never have perfection without practice, so, I had to practice on how to construct my essay, and work on my spellings,” she recounted. Davies invigorated and called on colleagues to keep chasing their dreams and never give up for it will lead to success.
Essentially, this is the fourth essay competition organized by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) for school-going pupils. In this essay completion that ensued about three hundred and seven essays were submitted to the Bank from school pupils across the country’s sixteen districts, and twenty-four essays were approved or short-listed to the semi-final on the topic “The Role of Technology in Shaping the Future of Sierra Leone.” Out of the 24 essayists, 12 made it to the Grand Finale, and each Finalist was given a brand new laptop, a school bag, and a certificate of participation and recognition by UBA
The Bank opened an account for the winner and credited it with fifty thousand New Leones if you like Fifty Million New Leones in addition to the brand new laptop, trophy, certificate of recognition, and a school bag. The First Runners-Up received thirty thousand New Leones, a brand new laptop, a trophy, a certificate, and a school bag, whilst the Second Runners-Up received twenty thousand New Leones, a brand new laptop, a trophy, a certificate, and a school bag.
After he participated in the essay competition in the last three academic years without winning, Sherilyn A.N Kamara who represented the Annie Walsh Memorial Secondary School emerged as the first runners-up. Kamara said she felt overwhelmed and emotional and disclosed that:
“I had been applying for the past three academic years but did not win, but the optimism and perseverance kept me going,” Kamara said she feels euphoric to have emerged as the first runners-up.
Managing Director, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Mohamed Alhajie Samoura described the competition as one that was rigorous and opined that competitions such as this one will help pupils become better persons in life. He noted that the experiences gathered during the competition and how one navigates through it is an experience that pupils will live with. “I wish that you live with the experience that you have gathered during the competition as you progress further in life,” he encouraged the pupils.
The MD referred to all those who participated in the essay competition as winners. He stressed that the essay competition is part of the Bank’s corporate social responsibility. He assured all pupils that the Bank would not stop there but would rather continue with its CRS.
Samoura disclosed that this is the highest (307) number of essays received, but mentioned that his dream is to receive one thousand entries for the essay competition. “This competition is so important, for it engages the mind, it drives the pupils to think outside the box to bring up ideas to impress the judges,” he remarked.
He concluded by stimulating pupils to be ambassadors for the national essay competition.
