EDUCATION

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Kampala Capital City Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has rallied children to embrace reading to equip themselves with new words and expand their vocabulary.

He adds that reading also sets them on a path towards achieving their dreams. 

“Develop a reading culture by joining literacy clubs. Also, participate in reading activities and days such as Drop Everything and Read; DEAR day,” he says.

Lukwago said this while officiating over the sixth edition of the African Spelling Bee competition recently. Over 140 children from 11 countries gathered at the City Hall in Kampala for the event.

Team Uganda put up stiff competition that saw Agaba Jordan Austin from Green Hill Academy emerge winner in the junior category. He tied with South Africa’s Lesedi Seemane.

Agaba was with Promise Kitara, Aisu Angula from Hill Side Primary School and Timothy Ninsiima from Masindi Army Primary School. The poise, confidence and intellect with which they spelt, amazed the judges. 

Praises Minabowa from Nigeria won the senior category followed by Claudia Jeab Madhombiro from Zimbabwe and David Busha from Ethiopia as first runners-up. The second runner-up was Chereni Tashinga from Zimbabwe.

The spellers came from South Africa, Malawi, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Zambia, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Uganda. 

The competitors were winners of the national spelling bee in their respective countries and in that process, they qualified to compete in the African spelling bee competition under the Junior and senior categories.

Each winner receives a $10,000 university scholarship.

The event was organized by enjuba and its partners. enjuba is an education social enterprise that strives to improve literacy for Ugandan children through spelling bees, early childhood programs and publishing locally relevant children's books.

William Mukisa, the chief literacy officer says, Ethiopia was supposed to host the sixth edition of the African spelling bee competition but got some challenges along the way. As part of the executive, Uganda stepped in.

“It came on short notice and we had to organize everything in just three weeks, on a tight budget. We thank God that it has been successful,” he says.

Mukisa thanked Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago for offering the City Hall where the event took place and Grand Global Hotel that accommodated the spellers. 

Mukisa adds that enjuba’s experience of hosting the event in 2019 and several others at the national level enabled them to pull off the event. The most recent national competition was in October this year. 

“Spelling Bee is more than just a spelling competition but a transformative journey that fosters learning, personal growth, and aspiration among participants,” he says. 

Spellers also get an opportunity to travel and meet new people and cultures.

Lewis Mbaula Chisale, chairperson of the African Spelling Bee, said children’s experience in Kampala was good and thanked Enjuba for organizing such a successful event in a short period. 

“African schools should embrace the spelling bee because it improves children’s comprehension, confidence, reading culture and exposure,” he says.

About the African Spelling Bee

The African Spelling Bee has grown into a premier platform for celebrating the African Child. It was founded in 2016 by 10 Spelling Bee organizations from Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The inaugural event was in South Africa, and it brought together 27 National champions from each participating country. Since then, the competition has been rotating in different countries.