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Introduction

The Kigali Public Library Annual Writing Competition is an inclusive competition launched in 2021 to engage both public and private schools in Rwanda. This competition targets students in primary, as well as secondary schools.

The primary aim of this competition is to enhance creative writing skills among students in Rwanda while raising awareness about different issues faced by our society. Each year, students are given a specific topic to write about, which is intended to educate and inform the community about important matters.
By participating in this competition, students in schools in Rwanda have the opportunity to become published authors and promote inclusive reading and writing practices among their peers. This initiative is particularly important in fostering a culture of literacy and creativity among the youth in Rwanda.

Objective

The objective of Kigali Public Library's annual writing season four is to promote language proficiency in English, Kinyarwanda, and French among Rwandan communities, particularly students, through engagement in various writing categories.

Themes

The central focus of our competition revolves around “Money matters”.

Topics

  • Lower Primary

    You find 500 RWF on the ground. Write a story about your lucky day and how you decided to use the money.

  • Upper Primary

    The school holidays begin, and you decide to turn them into an opportunity to fill your piggy bank. Write a story about your journey to earn, save, and protect your money.

  • Ordinary Level

    You notice a problem in your community. Write a story showing how you can raise and grow your seed capital to turn your idea into a sustainable opportunity.

  • Advanced Level

    Write a story or reflection showing how financial knowledge helps young people make wise decisions and lead responsibly.

Writing Criteria

Submission must conform to the conditions below:

Application

All talents must fill the required information on the application form both soft and hard.

Writing Style

Talents must demonstrate effective integration of writing principles, rules, and best practice guidelines for writing. Allowed writing Types will be Fiction, Poem, Essay, and Article.

Languages

Kinyarwanda, English, and French

Document Guidelines

Documents will be received into both physical and digital formats.

  • Digitally submitted copies should not reveall any information about the talent,
    as that information would have been submitted during the first 2 submission steps

  • Hard copies MUST contain the information below on first page:

Section 1: Personal Information

  • Full names
  • Residence District
  • Gender
  • Date of Birth
  • Parent/Guardian Phone Number
  • Parent/Guardian Email (Optional)

Section 2: School Information

  • School Name
  • District
  • Sector
  • Cell
  • Village
  • Phone
  • Email (optional)
  • Class Level

Section 3: Submission

  • Category Topic
  • Language

SOFT DOCUMENTS:

  • PDF or Word
  • Times New Roman
  • Font size 12
  • Line and Paragraph Spacing 1.5

HARD DOCUMENTS:

  • Must be written in clear readable handwriting or typed

Composition Limitations

All documents must have 500 words maximum per page.

  • Lower Primary: 100 - 250 words maximum
  • Upper Primary: 200- 500 words maximum
  • Ordinary Level: 500 – 1000 words maximum
  • Advanced Level: 750 – 1500 words maximum

TALENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

  • Visual Impairment: All documents should be written in braille or audio of 10 minutes maximum.

  • Speech and Hearing Impairment: All talents must submit their work in the video for 10 minute maximum.

  • Mental Impairment: All talents must submit their work in a painting format, and they should consult with the KPL staff if they have other formats to use.

All talents with impairment MUST submit a one-page document containing personal and school information as per the guidelines.

Timeline

Stage 1:

Registration and Submission - 19th Jan 2026 to 20th March 2026

Stage 2:

Evaluation – 6th to 17th April 2026

Stage 4:

Workshops and Interview [Final] – 09th May 2026

Stage 5:

Awarding ceremony – 23rd May 2026

Ready to Compete?

Submit your application today

Submit Your Application

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