WWF, EFSS discuss introducing essay category in the Juba Schools Mini Competition

Author: Emmanuel Bida | [email protected]

In a meeting held on Friday, 26th July 2024, the Writers Writing Fellowship (WWF) Executive Director, Alith Cyer Mayar and Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS) Program Manager, Emmanuel Bida explored how best the two organisations can incorporate an essay writing segment in the Juba Schools Mini Competition that already has a Spelling Bee, Speed Challenge Quiz, Speech and Academic Debate – starting with primary schools in September this year.

“The meeting is mainly to share an idea to join EFSS’s school program by offering writing training and competitions,” says Alith Cyer Mayar, the Executive Director at the Writers Writing Fellowship (WWF) “Just the same way the organisation does them, but just that we shall in the aspect of writing.”

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Bida, EFSS Program Manager explained in detail how the organization has been running the Juba Schools Mini Competition (JSMC) since 2022, the process, successes and pitfalls.

“We’re happy to have this opportunity to discuss with you because with your organisation’s technical assistance adding the writing category will spice up the overall competition experience for the participating schools,” said Emmanuel Bida. “It has always been our hope that we work with like-minded partners and schools to improve learning outcomes and exchange experiences in the mini contest.”

The two organisations then agreed to pilot the essay competition with upper primary school pupils from September 30 to October 30, 2024. Writers Writing Fellowship (WWF) is developing the guidelines, adjudication sheet and marking rubric to be shared with participating schools to guide their preparation ahead of the mini contest.

Both organisations will also provide writing training, mentorship and coaching to all participating schools before the competition.

About the Writers Writing Fellowship (WWF)

Writers Writing Fellowship is founded and championed by a group of South Sudanese writers and artists in different fields of art who desire to bring together an experienced team of writers that will nurture, coach, train mentor, publish, and promote aspiring writers from South Sudan and give South Sudanese writers the platform to be heard and listened to as they share their experiences, inter-generational transfer of writing and life skills.

About the Excellence Foundation for South Sudan (EFSS)

Registered in September 2021, our non-profit organisation aims to promote education and socio-economic development by providing education, leadership, and community-building support initiatives to individuals and marginalised communities through grassroots activities encouraging literacy, community peace, tolerance, and development.