In the 2014 and 2015 Zimbabwean students came out tops in the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards competition, an international essay-writing and poster-designing contest.
However, in 2016 the Zimbabwean finalists failed to shine and the question now is, can the 2017 candidates come out guns blazing and reclaim the Eutelsat crown?
Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the organisers were calling on entries from students aged between 14 and 19 years of age for the 2017 competition, again focused on stimulating an interest in the use of satellite technology to enhance African lives.
“This is a competition that is open to young people across Africa, and is one in which Zimbabweans have had particular success over the past few years, with winners and runners-up in the two different sections of the event,” she said.
The competition is a collaboration between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat, partners since 1999 and which jointly launched the annual DStv Eutelsat Star Awards poster and essay competition in 2010.
She continued, “The competition is aimed at encouraging young people across Africa to focus on the benefits to the continent of satellite technology and to think about careers in science and technology. There have more than 5 000 entries from all over the continent to date and Zimbabweans have entered in large numbers since the first competition in 2011.”
The 2017 topic is: It’s sixty years since the first satellite – Sputnik – was launched, sending out the unique and well-known ‘beep, beep, beep’ signal. Looking back at this historic moment, write an essay or design a poster depicting how satellites have launched humankind into the 21st century and acted as a unifier.
The overall international essay winner will be eligible for a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to Paris to visit Eutelsat satellite facilities and thereafter they travel to the Caribbean to view a rocket being launched into space.
Entries are accepted in English, French and Portuguese.
The competition is now in its seventh successive year and this joint initiative has inspired innovative thinking among a new African generation.
“This pan-African collaboration has created a meaningful engagement with students, the academic community and the scientific world and what has been very exciting has been the fact that, since the start of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards competition in 2011, thousands of students have taken part in this unique competition.
“We look forward to entries coming through from all over the country, so that we can see the wealth of talent we have in this country doing themselves proud and also giving pride to their parents, schools and the community at large.”
The 2014 international essay winner was then 18-year-old Joseph Mahiya of Hellenic International Academy in Harare, while the following year’s international poster winner was then 19-year-old Mallon Marume of Mutare Boys’ High School.
