In celebration of international Children’s Day on Saturday 01 June, Nal’ibali is launching its 'Celebrate our Children, Celebrate Childhood' creative writing and drawing competition for children between the ages of three and 11, with four book hampers to the value of R10 000 each to be won.

Children are full of imagination and curiosity and when given the opportunity, they are capable of producing great stories themselves. Moreover, it is when they are inspired to express and communicate something through writing, that they learn the power of the written word. Nal’ibali is offering the opportunity now for children to describe the world as they see it – through creative writing and drawing.

“We are all born to tell stories, memorise, and make sense of life in story form, and, to encourage this, we’re asking children across South Africa to tell a story by drawing and writing,  be it a story, poem or prose about what is special and important to them,” explains Carole Bloch, Director of PRAESA.

“We’d like to get children as young as three involved in telling their stories as well, hence an opportunity for them to draw what matters to them,” Bloch concludes.

The entries will be judged by creative and passionate individuals including South African poet and author, Dawn Garisch; award-winning jazz singer and mother of five, Judith Sephuma; and Carole Bloch.

The winning submissions will later be turned into an eBook together with writing tips and activities to inspire caregivers, teachers, librarians and reading club volunteers to continue growing their children’s capabilities in reading and writing. The book hamper prizes, courtesy of Cambridge University Press African Branch, will be awarded for the best story or description; the best drawing, the best poem, and the reading club or school that submits the most entries. Runners-up will receive stationery hampers to the value or R750 courtesy of Waltons.

Prizes:

a.)   Winners in the following categories will each win a book hamper courtesy Cambridge University Press African Branch to the value of R10 000 per hamper:

• the best story/description;
• the best drawing;
• the best poem; and
• the reading club or school that submits that most entries.

b.)   Runners-up in each of the above categories will receive stationery hampers to the value of R750 courtesy Waltons.

Languages: Submissions will be accepted in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi and isiZulu.

Submission details: Entries can be sent to letters@nalibali.org or posted to Nal’ibali, PO Box 1654, Saxonwold, 2132. Drawings can be scanned for electronic entry. Original copies will unfortunately not be returned to the sender.

Closing date: 22 July 2013. Winners will be announced 12 Aug 2013.