Chance to Win a Trip to the African Union Headquarters at the 2021 Young Africans Writing Contest

The Young African Writing Contest (YAWC) is one of the initiatives that ECOSOCC is introducing to bridge the gap between African Youth and the Union. It is predicted that the population of young Africans will double from the current 480 million to reach 840 million by 2050 and Africa will have the youngest population in the world. By acknowledging the innovative thinking that they bring to the table, YAWC aims to encourage the youth to reflect on the crucial role they play by providing them with a space to express themselves freely. “My Africa, My Future” will articulate their aspirations and ideals for the kind of future they want for the continent.

Participants are hereby invited to submit their innovative ideas through a short essay format. The title is purposely crafted to allow young Africans to express themselves freely on various themes related to the continent’s future. They are invited to spin the theme “My Africa, My Future” in any direction they choose, and they are welcome to give their piece of writing its own title. The set of sub-themes below are meant to guide entrants when responding to the above subject:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Inclusive Governance
• Job Opportunities
• Smart Cities
• Infrastructure
• Gender Equality
• Sustainable growth
• Digital Revolution
• Conflict and Violence

Contestants are not expected to reflect on all of the above sub-themes. 

The ten best entries/participants will be rewarded as follows:

• Grand Prize:

1. Fully sponsored Educational Trip to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and a Guided Tour of the AU Complex and Meetings with Senior Officials of the AU Commission
2. Laptop Core i7
3. Official African Union Winner’s Plaque
4. Official African Union Gift Bag

• 2nd Prize:

1. Laptop Core i7
2. Official African Union Plaque
3. Official African Union Gift Bag

• 3rd Prize:

1. Laptop Core i5
2. Official African Union Plaque
3. Official African Union Gift Bag

• Consolation Prizes: 4th to 10th ranked participants will receive an official African Union Plaque
• All participants meeting the submission criteria will receive a digital certificate of participation from AU ECOSOCC
• The Top 10 essays will be published in a special booklet entitled ‘My Africa My Future’ 

The participant must be a:

• Registered student in an educational institution at secondary (high school) level in an African Union Member State.
• Citizen and resident of an AU Member State.

The essays will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Content – Originality: 50 %
• Relevance in terms of the continent’s development: 30 %
• Structure: 10 %
• Overall impression: 10 %

Essays will be judged on their ability to engage readers, their thoughtfulness, and rhetorical effectiveness. The quality of language will not be a decisive factor, as long as the essays retain their clarity and coherence. 

Essay Instructions/Specifications:

• Essays must be typed in Microsoft Word (version Word 2003 or higher) format and submitted in pdf on A4 paper size;
• All entries must include a cover page containing the following basic information, namely (a) Full Name, (b) Country, (c) Name of Institution & Grade; a template, which participants may wish to use, is available for reference/download on the website.
• Entrants should use a 12-point font (preferably Times New Roman or Arial); pages should be sequentially numbered.
• The essay shall be no longer than 1000 words. There is no down limit, although essays shorter than 500 words are not encouraged. Please enter all your personal details in the participation form.
• Languages: Entries can be submitted in any of the African Union (AU) official languages namely: Swahili, English, French, Arabic, Spanish and Portuguese.
• All contestants must submit a completed and signed version of the participation form.

About ECOSOCC:

ECOSOCC is a civil society advisory organ of the African Union (AU), established as a policy development interface that harnesses civil society expertise to the work of various departments of the African Union Commission and the AU at large. ECOSOCC is composed of NGOs; cultural, social, and professional groups duly registered in the AU Member States and contributes, through advice, to the effective translation of the objectives, principles, and policies of the Union into concrete programs.

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