Imelda Munika
The Namibia Civil Aviation Authority recently awarded prizes to winners of its first-ever aviation safety competition.
The competition forms a vital component of the NCAA’s corporate social responsibility efforts and invited participation from all school-going children across the country.
Its primary objective was to engage and educate the younger generation on the critical subject of aviation safety.
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony, Sarafina Maxwanu, senior manager at Air Navigation Services Safety Oversight (ANSSO) said there was an overwhelming response from the learners.
She said they are grateful to all the participants who shared their stories and creative graphics.
“These narratives and visuals serve as a vivid reminder of the importance of aviation safety, a reminder that transcends boundaries and unites us all,” said Maxwanu.
The competition only had two categories: story-telling and social media graphics.
The winner of the story-telling competition Marshallino Coetzee claimed N$1 000 with his enlightening piece on “Human Factors in Aviation”.
Roome Kirsten secured the second prize of N$500 with his insightful narrative on “Wake Turbulence”. Beverlyn Sharon !Ganes clinched the third prize of N$250 with her thought-provoking take on “Aviation Safety”, and Klaudia Shiimi, with her story “Rural Children On Airports”, earned fourth place.
In the social media graphics category, the first winner was Simon Shixwanda, a grade six student, who walked away with N$1 000 for his captivating graphic titled “Aeroplane”.
Okadila-West Combined School, a group entry, scooped the second prize of N$500 for their outstanding visual portrayal of aviation safety.
Coetzee told Youth Corner that preparing for the competition took a lot of hard work.
“Preparing for the competition was quite a bit of a task, it involved research and all that but luckily I have been in the same industry for some time and have written articles, so it was a bit easier and I am happy about the win,” said Coetzee.
Evangeline Fillemon, who represented Okadila-West Combined School, said the competition was good and quite challenging as it required a great mindset.
To celebrate the winners and to further promote aviation safety, the NCAA will showcase these stories and graphics on its website, safety bulletins, and various social media platforms. The company hopes the showcasing of the winners on the various platforms will inspire others to prioritise safety within the aviation community.
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