One of Sierra Leone’s leading insurance companies, Aureol Insurance Company as part of their ongoing response to the containment of coronavirus in the country has certified 11 pupils from seven primary and secondary schools after emerging as winners of their respective categories of the COVID-19 Essay Competition. The award ceremony took place at Aureol House on Siaka Stevens Street in Freetown on Friday 21st August 2020. The competition was organised on the theme, “Celebrating our fearless and dedicated frontline workers risking their lives in the fight against COVID-19” for primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools respectively nationwide.
The Managing Director, Aureol Insurance Company, Raymond Macauley thanked the 40 pupils nationwide that participated in their first COVID-19 Essay Competition for pupils in the three aforementioned categories of schools. He said out of the 40 participants, eight are from primary, 13 from junior secondary and 19 from senior secondary schools, but noted that from all indications, all of them are winners hence the 11 did extremely well in the competition.
Macauley said the essay competition was aimed at expressing how they as an insurance company appreciate the work being done by all frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19, pointing that they cannot do it alone, for which management decided to involve the kids in expressing how they as well appreciate frontline workers for risking their lives to save the nation.
The Managing Director highlighted that the competition was transparent, and based on the positive responses they received from the kids, management has decided to hopefully make the essay an annual event to create awareness on issues, especially ones that deal with their work and activities. He assured the winners of publishing all successful submissions for the competition in newspapers, and that it will be captured in their 2020 Annual Report.
The chairman for the event who served as essay competition judge, Nathaniel Pearce, said the intervention by various groups nationwide and globally in the fight to contain COVID-19 has been applauded by all. He said the move by Aureol Insurance Company was timely and tremendous, noting that there is a lot one can do to demonstrate appreciation, but that when it is put in writing, there is nothing more significant than that.
Pearce said though the sample size for the competition might be small, the attention generated and seen coming from more private schools than government schools should be looked into, adding: parents and teachers need to do a lot to motivate their kids to engage in such competitions. He praised the quality of writing from the pupils especially those in senior secondary including poetry and other forms of good language. The second prize winner of the senior secondary category, Claudius Olayemeka Taylor of the Sierra Leone Grammar School expressed appreciation and gratitude to Aureol Insurance Company for organising the essay which he said has helped expose their writing skills.
He said despite the country’s COVID-19 cases being low as compared to other countries, and though frontline workers were not prepared for the outbreak, however, they were and still are ready to serve the country ensure we get to zero infections and deaths. The Grammar School pupil on behalf of other winners and all participants assured that with regular essay competitions on various subjects, government and partners can expose students’ talents, which would help identify good mentors to help reshape them to better realise their dreams and showcase their talents in positive ways.
The 11 awardees are: Najmah Taqi (International Primary School); Nathan A. T. Marcus Roberts (Apex International Primary School); and Jeggan Taylor (Apex International Primary School) in the Primary Category; Ozioma Chukwu (Annie Walsh Memorial Secondary School); Pius Bob Musa (Albert Academy); Grace Emerson Thomas (International Secondary School); and Hawa Blessing Tucker (Freetown Secondary School for Girls) in the Junior Secondary Category; and Wendy Vincent (Annie Walsh Memorial School); Claudius Olayemeka Taylor (Sierra Leone Grammar School); Augustina E. Tucker (Lebanese International School); and Hawa Turay (JEE’S International School) for the Senior Secondary school Category.
By Mohamed Kabba