The winner of this year’s INS journalism contest is Francois, an 18-year-old refugee student from the Central African Republic. He in his first year of scientific humanities at Malo Institute at Inke refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The journalism contest is open to any displaced or host community student affiliated with the Instant Network Schools (INS) programme and asks students to use their journalism skills to write an article on a certain topic. This year that topic was Life Skills in Action. Through research and interviews, students explored how key concepts from the INS Life skills course such as empathy, communication, problem-solving, resilience and cooperation, show up in their communities.
With support from teachers, INS coaches and programme managers, more than 180 students from the DRC, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan and Tanzania submitted their articles for judging.
The top five entries from each country were then shared with a panel of judges from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and Vodafone Foundation, as well as Digital Awareness UK, the creators of the Life Skills course, who had the challenge of determining the winning article.
Francois’ article stood out to the judges for its strong writing, thoughtful reporting, compelling interviews and its powerful illustration of how life skills are shaping real change within his community.
When asked about his win Francois said, ‘I dedicate this award to all refugees who make an effort to find solutions to their community’s issues.’ ‘The lessons of leadership delivered by my INS teachers have inspired and motivated me,’ he added.
As the global winner of the contest, Francois received a selection of books written by, or highlighting the stories of, inspirational leaders such as Simone Biles, Mohamed Salah and Nelson Mandela who are featured in the Life Skills course.
You can read Francois’ article The School Canteen in Inke Camp: A Simple Idea that Changed the Lives of Children, here.
