Monrovia — The Delegation of the European Union to Liberia has commemorated the International Day of Education 2021. It was awarded ten young students who participated in a national Rap/Singing/Poetry contest, dubbed “Da Youth Dem Voice Here” Contest.
“Da Youth Dem Voice Here” Contest was a national Rap/Singing/Poetry contest for young Liberians living in Liberia. It created an opportunity for young Liberians to showcase their youthful creativity while reflecting on their nation-building role. The competition was opened to Liberian High School students from Grade 9-12. The contest was held under the theme, “My Future Liberia.”
Interested young Liberians were encouraged to film themselves either reciting a poem, rapping, or singing about their future aspirations for the country between December 7th, 2020, and January 21st, 2021. Ten top entries were shortlisted for public voting on the Delegations Facebook page. The award ceremony was, therefore, to climax the almost two months-long campaign.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Head of the Political Section, Juan Antonio Frutos Goldaratz, expressed his joy at the campaign’s enthusiasm and creativity. “This was an inspiring event for all of us. We decided to do this because we believe the youth are the future of this country, and your voices are essential in shaping the future. We have seen very talented young people who have shared their thoughts, ideas on education, development, human rights issues, on gender equality, which are very important in Liberia. So it has been an honor and privilege to be part of this.”
He also emphasized the EU will continue to work with Liberia’s young people by investing in developing their skills for a better and brighter future. “The EU is partnering with the Liberian government in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). We want to ensure that the young people of Liberia get equipped with skills for a better future”.
