Nairobi, 9 September 2015 - Hussein Malla, a 9 year old boy from Kenya, is the regional winner for Africa of the 24th International Children's Painting Competition, organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE).
Hussein's winning artwork contrasts the world today with the future he would like to see. It depicts a bright rainbow of renewable energy sources stretching over a grey world of polluting and inefficient technologies. An hourglass in the middle symbolizes the time that's running out for humanity to make the shift to green energy.
The theme of this year's competition "We have the Power!" supports the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All and aims to highlight the use of renewable energy and raise awareness about the importance of energy efficiency.
In 2014, the Africa Energy Outlook showed that more than 620 million people in Africa lack access to electricity while nearly 730 million rely on dangerous, inefficient forms of cooking. Initiatives, such as Africa 2020 Access to Renewables and the African Rift Geothermal Development Facility (ARGeo) are working to make Hussein's dream reality by bringing clean, affordable energy to millions of people.
Access to clean, renewable, efficient, affordable and reliable energy is essential for African welfare and can also lead to a sustainable future for all, with multiple benefits for economic and social development, human health, the environment and the climate.
More than 2,200 paintings from eight African countries were submitted for this year's edition of the International Children Painting Competition, which was open for children between the ages 9 and 14.
Each UNEP Regional Office (Africa, Asia-Pacific, West-Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean) chooses regional winners. The selection for the African winner was coordinated from UNEP Regional Office, in Nairobi. The selection process included a selected jury of graphic artists and experts in energy and environment.
The competition, celebrated annually since 1991, has received over three million submissions from about 190 countries so far.
The 1st and 2nd runners up respectively are Bhavini Varsini (14) and Aadil Shah (14), both from Kenya.
Tunza
The International Children's Painting Competition on the Environment is part of UNEP TUNZA's strategy for children and youth. TUNZA is a word in Swahili that means "to treat with care".
The objective of TUNZA's initiative is to encourage a global movement where youth and children can participate actively in the world on activities linked to the environment, as well as fostering a generation of conscious young leaders who will influence environmental decision making processes and act responsibly to promote sustainable development.
