CREATING A PURE LIFE FOR ALL
The Earth. It is the only home we have come to know; it is home to about 7.8 billion people. It goes without saying, that we ought to take care of the Earth, preserve her resources and conserve energy. It is something that all hands have to be on deck to accomplish.
Pope Francis in one of his encyclical, Laudato Si, wrote, “saving our common home is crucial for the youth because they will suffer the most from the consequences of climate change. So, as young people, you have to take ownership of your future.” We decided to give young people an opportunity to take ownership of their future by organizing a contest in this regard with the theme: Vida Pura Para Todos, meaning, Pure Life for All. The creativity contest which was organized for girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years, was divided into two categories: writing and art. It was aimed at enabling young girls to think about ways of solving environmental problems, fostering critical thinking, and improving self-expression.
The writing category entailed participants writing an essay, a short story or poem on- “The Earth Our Common Home; To Have and To Protect”. The artists were expected to show concern for the environment by depicting the topic- “Can Artists save the world”? in a personal art project. The journey started on the 13th of June and ran through till the 14th of July, 2020.
It was really amazing to see what the girls came up with. With a house made of old newspapers, stairways made of match sticks, and improvised fresh lawns, Uyiosa Aigbogun told the story of how perseverance along life’s bumpy roads always pays off.
Bethel Ojadi in her love for flowers pieced together a nice flower and vase all from cut-up plastic bottles, some from soft drinks bottles and beads.
Chizitelu Anakwe literally went to town with her Vida Pura Island. Using styrofoam, paper, and old plastics she created an island that depicts what a pure life should look like; walkways instead of driveways, clean litter-free environment, lush vegetation, and an ocean really blue.
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Nzube Chikani reminds everyone that “age is but a number when it comes to making an impact on the world” as surely they have done in their own little way as participants in this contest. She went on to propose that people do those little ‘inconsequential’ things that really matter. She says: “Thrash that can of soda even though it is way easier to toss it in the drainage. Take that bone-breaking fifteen minutes’ walk to school instead of a five minutes’ car ride, do not buy a fifteen-year-old car that is unbelievably easy on your budget but produces a gigantic storm of carbon dioxide with every pull on your break”.
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These words are a reminder that each of us has a role to play in fostering a circular environment and a subtle but clear reminder of who suffers from a destroyed Earth.
The artworks and write-ups produced by the girls proved that recycling was a thing, not left only to big companies, but to young girls at home, during the lockdown.
We would like to say hearty congratulations to the winners of this year’s contest. The real prize, we believe, is the heightened sensitivity to the problems of the environment, willingness to foster a circular economy, and coming up with effective ways to reduce pollution.
A lot of people contributed their time; money and effort to making this contest a success. The sponsors who made it possible and the facilitator for the Young writers' workshop which held in the course of the competition on July 11, 2020. The same can be said of the judges who took a lot of time to thoroughly scrutinize the work of each participant and gave feedback, the coordinators who worked to put things in place, organizing, publicizing, fundraising, and the graphics design. We are especially grateful to everybody that offered prayers for the success of this contest. We are thankful and glad that God worked with us and saw this project through.
We hope that the work of these girls helps you become more aware of your environment; that you help take your future in your hands and help protect and preserve our common home- the Earth.
Finally, heeding the words of one of the participants, Nzube Chikani, “Let us all quench the flames burning up our planet today and ward off a charred tomorrow”.
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APPRECIATION
SPONSORS
GOLD
Juhel Pharmaceuticals
Honorable Barr. Sunday Umeha
SILVER
Mrs. Ijeoma Amu
Dr. Okeychukwu Nnani
Vivy Pharmacy, Enugu
Dr. Mrs. Anakwue
Mr. Evans Obasohan
BRONZE
Ms. Uche Ofili
Ms. Mesoma Igbokwe
Mr. Charles Udeh
Ms. Chisom Duru
Ms. Joan Onochie
Ms. Chidi Aguwa
Ms. Genevieve Ekemezie
FACILITATOR
Prof. Chika Unigwe
JUDGES
WRITING CATEGORY
Dr. Jennifer Onochie
Ms. Mary Joy Orola
Mr. Nicodemus Onah
ART CATEGORY
Ms. Chinyere Nzenwata
Ms. Esther Adebanjo
Ms. Ann Ogidi
COORDINATORS
Cynthia Ojiba
Adrian Onyia
Chiamaka Ekwugha
Mesoma Igbokwe
Amarachi Udeachara
Uchechi Emereuwaonu
Philipa Onochie
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