The World Bank Tanzania team launched an art and drawing competition for children aged between seven and 15 whose art could don the cover of the upcoming Tanzania Country Economic Memorandum report.
Lwansa, 13, is a pupil in her form two at a Turkish Private School in Dar-es-Salaam called Feza Girls Secondary School.
She participated in the World Bank Tanzania contest for children.
The four-week contest ran from March 17 to April 18, registering more than 150 entries. The winning entry came from Chanda Atulinda Lwansa, 13, a student in form one at Feza Girls Secondary School in Dar es Salaam. She won herself a one Million Tanzania shillings award. Her drawing depicted Tanzanians in various occupations, from surgeons, pilots, chemists, business people, gardeners to teachers.
Question. Tell me about yourself.
Answer. I am Chanda Atulinda Lwansa. Chanda being my great grand mother’s name on daddy’s side and Atulinda was given to me by my aunty, a younger sister to my mother. I was born in 2001 on the 16th of March at the University Teaching Hospital. My father is Mulenga Lwansa, a Zambian and my mother is Akiza Kamuzora, a Tanzanian. My parents met at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in 1992 so as I am told. I am the first born and I have a little sister aged 7, her name is Namara, a Haya name from my mother’s tribe. I am currently in form 2 at a Turkish Private School in Dar-es-Salaam called FEZA Girls secondary school. And obviously you may wonder, I am learning Turkish and am good at it. I have lived in Tanzania, Namibia and Zambia my home country.
Q. What was the World Bank Tanzania children’s Art contest all about?
A. The art contest was a compliment to the government’s priority to put foundations in place for industry growth and job creation and to get children involved in the jobs debate. The prize for the contest was one Million Tanzania shillings.
Q. At what age did you start doing Art? Who is your role model in Art?
A. I started my nursery school at the Baptist Nursery School on Independence road, Woodlands. I was 3 by then. One thing daddy likes to remind me is how, after 3 days of my nursery schooling, I was in tears and refused to go back to school. You may laugh, because, I am left handed and so each time I tried to write my fellow pupils would stare at me because they were all right handed. Daddy calmly told me to get back to school and show them how to use the left hand as they were admiring my left hand. It was during this time that I started doing some drawing.
Daddy has been a role model in my love of art, I remember him picking up anything to write with and draw interesting things especially cartoons, I started to copy and imitate him from very early stage. But now I think I am better at art than him.
Q. What do you intend to study after high school?
A. I have not yet set my mind on what I want to study, my parents are both Pharmacists and my grandfather on daddy’s side would like me to be a Doctor, but that is out. I am interested in becoming a designer or an animator.
Q. What are some of the challenges you face in doing Art?
A. About challenges for upcoming young artists, I really have not paid attention to that. What I know is that each time I draw anything people at home really fall in love with it. I have done a portrait of my mother and father and my little sister.
Q. What other competition have you ever competed for?
A. World Bank Tanzania children’s Art contest is the only competition I ever entered. I was once so discouraged by my primary school teacher in Namibia who flatly said my coloring of a flower was very poor. Again my parents were there to encourage me such that one day when I followed dad to his office, he gave me plain papers as usual and his co-workers asked that I draw something for them. I was 3 and I drew a house with legs running. They laughed their heads off and placed it on the notice board.
Q. Inspire a general populace of Zambia.
A. Love and honor your parents for they are your inspiration and help them in all manners.
Q. Who is your mentor?
A. My parents have been good mentors especially my father, he makes things that I find difficult easier. He has taught me to drive such that I drive myself from my school compound to some point before the major road. My mother has shown me love and brings me up with Christian values.
Q. What is your most expensive habit?
A. Buying books. I buy and buy and read and read books, my book shelf is full. My parents do not object to my buying books and often when dad has travelled he comes in with books for me and my sister.
Love and honor your parents for they are your inspiration and help them in all manners. It is that simple, you can do it.
For comments: mwenyamuleba@gmail.com / 0966 461 943/0950 594 050
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