Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
MORE than 60 students from across the continent competed for top honours at the African Spelling Bee competition held at Manna Resorts in Harare this Friday.
The contest brought together national champions in both junior and senior categories, highlighting academic excellence and linguistic skill.
Organisers said the annual event is designed to promote literacy, nurture talent and foster cultural exchange among young Africans.
“This competition is more than just a contest about spelling words correctly. It is a celebration of learning, academic talent and limitless potential of young Africans,” Founder of the Zimbabwe Spelling Bee Competition, Advocate James Bayanai said.
Chairperson of the African Spelling Bee Competition, Mr Lewis Mbaula, said the initiative also seeks to cultivate a strong reading culture.
“The competition celebrates the beauty of language. It is about giving a culture of reading across the continent. It is about showing young Africans that knowledge and perseverance can open doors,” he said.
Participants said the competition is contributing positively to their academic development.
“It helps broaden your vocabulary and it also helps with school, especially with English as a subject. Ever since I started spelling bee, I have been getting higher grades in English,” a Zambian participant said.
“This spelling bee is great for us because most of our subjects from kindergarten to upper classes were taught in our mother language. So this could be our English knowledge,” an Ethiopian participant noted.
“My teammates and I have improved our vocabulary and our knowledge in English through the work of the spelling bee. I advise more people out there to do a spelling bee and not to be afraid, to try something new if they have not. It helps all of us to improve ourselves for the future,” a Zimbabwean participant added.
Government said the competition complements the Heritage-Based Curriculum by supporting the development of well-rounded learners.
“For Zimbabwe, this event is particularly significant because it aligns very well with the objectives of our Heritage-Based Curriculum, which is currently being implemented in our schools. The Heritage-Based Curriculum emphasises the development of well-rounded learners who possess not only academic knowledge, but also practical competencies, critical thinking skills, creativity and strong values grounded in our cultural heritage,” Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Lameck Mudyiwa noted.
Beyond competition, the event continues to serve as a platform for unity and collaboration among young Africans pursuing academic excellence.
