Worthy winners from each of the four age groups took home the title of Spelling Bee Champion. They were: Thabiso Manamela (7–9 years), Ayanda Baloyi (10-12 years), Eza Mpalisa (13-15 years) and Nqobile Mazibuko (16-18 years).
“The ultimate outcome we are looking for is a general improvement in literacy levels,” explained Onyi Nwaneri, Group Executive: Marketing and Development for Afrika Tikkun.
“It’s important that young people still dream of winning. It encourages the spirit of competition, which is healthy for your mind and your spirit, and it gives a real sense of achievement,” adds career counsellor, Warren Radebe.
“I was very lucky to be part of the whole thing and to be one of the judges. It was very, very humbling to see the effort the children put in. There were a couple of words that I had no idea how to spell so kudos to them,” said competition judge Ewout Engelbrecht, from Workonline Communications.
Sponsors included Accelerate Property Fund, Indwe Risk Services, Netsurit and Dashpay; with prizes donated from Waltons, Workonline Communications, Phoenix Consulting and Growright.
For more information, visit www.afrikatikkun.org.
