Essay Contest for Children of African Descent 2011

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Thank you for your interest in and/or support of the Annual Essay Contest for Children of African Descent. Over the last five years, this contest has had two simple goals: to encourage and support our children in their educational development.

I'm writing to you as you have either been a Judge in previous years or you expressed an interest in being a Judge over the last year. Below is quite a bit of information which I hope you will find interesting starting with the impact that this contest has had on our children who have participated over the years.

My main purpose in writing this email is to encourage you to register to be a Judge in 2011 as I have had to refuse a lot of children as I need more reliable Judges. I hope you will find the information below of interest and that you will choose to be an active Judge in 2011.

1. Successes

Thanks to your contribution to our children over the last five years. So far, your accomplishments include:

• Positively affecting the lives of hundreds of children and their families with your words of encouragement on their essay.
• Making huge contributions through your words of encouragements and Special Prizes to children who are often underserved and with particular challenges (orphans, in care, learning difficulties, with physical disabilities etc.) have chosen to participate – and without you knowing who they are.
• Those of you who contributed to the cost of the prizes and/or offered Special Prizes – bringing joy to all children who received your Winning Prizes and certificates and Special Prizes.
• Invested heavily in the lives of 34 children whose one-term school fees 11 of you paid.
• To the two judges who have paid the entire year’s school fee of one child - you have lifted a heavy burden from his grandfather and brought enormous joy to the child.
• Contributing to a number of essayists gaining public speaking experience at different venues (radio, TV, at international conferences including at Arsenal’s football conference centre at Word Power) over the years.
• Contributing to over 50 essayists and one artist being published in a book and seeing their work (tamare house/essay contest) in print as well as the top three winners annually being published on the website.
• Contributing to thousands of children in schools in developing countries being able to read essays written by participants in the book “Essay Contest for Children of African Descent 2009” as two copies of this book were sent to all participating schools in developing countries in 2009.

For more ways of how you have benefited our children visit ‘Impact’ on the website - www.lornajones.net

Les succès du concours: des centaines de jeunes ont profités des mots d’encouragement des juges ses derniers cinq ans; des essayists en situation difficiles (orphelins, handicappés etc.) ont beaucoup profités des commentaries positifs sur leur rédactions; plus de 50 on reçus des prix et prix spçciaux; 34 essayistes on reçu un bourse pour leur education pendant un sémestre; remerciements aux deux juges qui ont payé les frais de scolarité pour une annéée entière d’un jeun homme en Afrique, de nombreux gagnants ont présenté leur rédaction en publique, plus de 50 essayistes peuvent leur rédaction publié dans un livre (www.tamarehouse/essaycontest) et sur le site web, plusieurs miliers de jeuns dans les pays en voie de développement peuvent lire les rédactions de plus de 50 essayistes qui avaient participé dans ce concours en 2009 (www.tamarehouse/essaycontest). Pour de plus amples renseignements sur les succès, visitez le site web: www.lornajones.net sour ‘Impact’.

2. Judges wanted - urgently

I have recently had to refuse 340 African children from participating in this contest because of a lack of Judges. I am also looking into how to limit the number of disabled children who want to participate. Definitely not something I want to do.

Please, please ask among your caring friends and ask them to contact me if they would be open to being Judges in this contest. Judges read 10 essays and provide encouraging feedback to the children. They have three weeks in February 2011 in which to do this. And they will not need to leave the comfort of their home as the emails will be emailed to them.

I would really appreciate your help as it hurts to say No when children want to enter the contest. Two registered Judges have offered to read more than 10 essays. To those of you who have already registered, please let me know if you would be willing to mark more than 10 essays and if so how many more you can handle comfortably - in groups of five, please. HUGE THANK YOU.

A la recherche des juges d’ascendance Africaine de langue anglaise, française, espagnole et portugaise. Veuillez-vous me mettre en contact avec quelques personnes d’ascendance africaine avec du coeur qui risquent de s’intèresser à être juge - lire rédactions en français et founir les commentaries aux essayistes. Demande aux juges déjà enregistrés de corriger plus de 10 rédactions. J’étais obligée de refuser la participation de 340 enfants francophones par manque des juges francophones.

3. Essay Topics released

The Essay Topics will be sent to all registered Judges shortly to give you time to ‘brush up’ on some of the topics before the essays arrive on 15 January 2011. Don’t worry….. you will not receive your 10 essays until February. I hope you will enjoy the topics which I believe will encourage our children to share their research and knowledge with us and, more importantly, to develop their writing skills.

Comme “le Beaujolais est arrive!”, “Les sujets sont arrives!”. Sujets seront envoyés aux juges enregistrés d’ici peu.

4. Website

I have uploaded on the website under Essay Contests - 2010 below the photos of the Awards Ceremony in 2010 held in London, two short clips of the Awards Ceremony from a school in Ghana that has participated two years now. I hope you will enjoy them. The top three winners of all previous years can be downloaded from the site.

Invitation aux gens a visiter le site web: www.lornajones.net et voir deux clips de laureates ghaniens lors de leurs ceremonie.

5. Special Offers from business supporters of this Contest

As some of you know, I’m passionate about supporting our businesses as important members of our community and am often asked, “Where are the African-owned businesses?” A number of Caribbean business owners in the UK, who appreciate the ethos of this contest and the work you are doing with our children, have sent a few words of encouragement to our young essayists.

They have also offered a few treats for the families, teachers, Judges and their families for your hard work in supporting Our children.

As a THANK YOU for registering, I would be happy to send these out to all Judges. I'm still licking my lips after having just collected one of the offers personally. If you have already registered as a Judge, please expect a second email from me with the Special Offers. If you have registered you do not receive this, just drop me a line.

6. Support the children and help make the Contest self-financing

Thank you those who have supported the contest and the schools through the products offered for sale on the website. Did you read how the school spent the money and their plans for future sales?

Thank you everyone who bought a copy of the book “Essay Contest for Children of African Descent 2009”. Another Christmas stocking filler. It should be on every family’s bookshelf. It’s a great read by our essayists.

Remerciements à tous qui ont acheté soit une copie du livre “Essay Contest for Children of African Descent 2009” ou des produits du site web pour soutenir les enfants au Ghana et a Uganda. Voir www.lornajones.net sous “Shop”.

As always, thank you all for encouraging and supporting Our children.

I look forward to receiving your responses and completed questionnaire. If you have already registered and do not wish to mark more than 10 essays, no need to do so again.

As always a HUGE THANK YOU for supporting Our children.

Regards,

Lorna Jones

www.lornajones.net