Team Uganda has emerged winners at the just concluded Seventh African Spelling Bee a fierce competition that brough together the continent’s top spellers.
The prestigious event was held on April 11 in Abuja, Nigeria.
Anwitha Hareesh, 11, a student at Greenhill Academy, won the inuagural Essay Competition while Abigail Nakawooya, 14, a student at Namagunga Girls Primary Boarding School, was the first runners up in the Junior category of the African competition.
“We are incredibly proud of our spellers,” said William Mukisa, chief literacy officer at Enjuba. “Their dedication, resilience, and brilliance have once again shown that Ugandan children can compete and win on the biggest stages.”
The three girls, including Kayla Nakato were the 2023 Ugandan National Spelling Bee Champions, a Spelling competition organised by Enjuba.
Enjuba is children’s education organisation focused on improving foundational literacy, numeracy and executive function skills for Ugandan children through spelling bees, books and early childhood programs.
The road to Abuja began at the grassroots, with spelling bee competitions held at school, district, and national levels.
The three top spellers from the National Spelling Bee then earned their places on the national team, representing Uganda at the African stage.
The achievements of these three girls not only reflect individual excellence but also underscore the power of enjuba' programs and the potential of Uganda’s children on the continental stage.
The African Spelling Bee brought together children - Champions from National Spelling Bees of countries like Botswana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana, Gmabia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, South Sudan and South Africa to compete for the African Championship.
Speaking at the African Spelling Bee event, Lewis Mbaula, chairperson of the African Spelling Bee said, “the African Spelling Bee is a Pan African education organisation with a vision of celebrating the African Child, inspiring them to be literate and creating a platform for them to connect with other children from the continent.”
The African Spelling Bee through her member countries has reached and impacted over 10 million learners across the continent.
As the trophies return home and celebrations begin, Uganda’s performance in Abuja is a powerful reminder of what is possible when talent is nurtured with the right support and opportunities.
The future of literacy and education in Uganda looks bright.