Topics for junior category (Grades 4 to 7) include President for a day, Th e bully, Th e attack, The flood, Street kids, First day at school, I’m sorry, The day I’ll never forget, Trapped and The biggest mistake. Topics for the senior category (Forms 1 to 6) include Times were tough, The shadow woman, I have something to tell you, The storyteller, The awakening, Turning away, Hotel Africa, Look Away, The Cyclone and At night.

 

Madzivire said shortlisted entries will be published in a booklet in order to appreciate the linguistic skills of the pupils who have been holed up at homes for over a month since the start of the lockdown. Pupils who use heavily political, racial or social charged language or otherwise culturally unacceptable language will be penalised.

“Shortlisted entries will be compiled into a booklet to be published online. Entries are to be emailed as either a PDF document, a Word document, a scanned handwritten document
or a set of pictures to wewritezim2020@yahoo. com. The cover page of the document should consist of the name, schooling level, contact details of the author, name of the school, contact details of the contact person of the school and an authenticity declaration by the author,” he said.

Deadline for submitting the online short stories is June 16 while the results will be announced on July 1. Those who excel, the Junior President said would be given cash prizes.

“Three cash prizes of ZW$800, ZW$500 and ZW$300 are available for the top three participants in the juniors’ division and three more cash prizes of ZW$1 500, ZW$1 000 and ZW$500 are available for the top three participants in the seniors’ division.”

4-H Zimbabwe Foundation founder, John Muchenje said the competition which has come at a time most schools are closed, should help in ensuring pupils keep abreast with their schooling.

“As schools are closed, we felt there was a need to continue empowering pupils so we hope that this competition will go a long way in improving the literacy rate.

 

“The competition will also help pupils to keep in touch and remain in the mood of learning,” said Muchenje