The NMC Children’s Art competition’s prize –giving event was held recently at the Homefurn shop in Maerua Mall in Windhoek. The aim of the competition was to encourage children to live healthy with the theme being: Health and Wellness. NMC hereby also wanted to support the NMC Wellness for Kidz and Teenz Programmes.

The competition was launched in July 2009 giving the children ample time to prepare their artworks for final delivery at the end of September 2009. NMC also donated paper and crayons to 21 Windhoek crèches to encourage the children to participate. A total of 639 artworks were received from all over Namibia covering five different categories: 0-5 , 5-9 , 9-13, 13-18 years and an Overall category. The competition was judged by a panel of 23 adjudicators evaluating numbered only artworks on a points based system.

The winners were as follows: 0-5 years: 1 st Lea Redelinghuys, four years old, Windhoek, 2nd: Mia Brand, 5 years old, Windhoek, 3rd Wessel Kotze, 4 years old, Windhoek; 4th Apeshe Sheuyange, 5 yeas old, Windhoek and 5th Miquela Lamperth, 5 years old also from Windhoek.

5-9 Years Category:
1st: Ceciia Fourie, 6 years, Windhoek, 2nd: Danè Malan, 6 years old, Windhoek, 3rd: Samora Naukushu, 6 years old, Windhoek, 4th Annika Kowenhoven, 7 years old from Swakopmund and 5th: Lucille Prins, 7 yearls old from Swakopmund.

9-13 Years Category:
1st: Mbariuo Tjeriko , 12 years old from Otjiwarongo, 2nd: Daninca Krauser, 3rd: Tyla Lichti and 5th Linda Walker, all three girls ten years old an from Swakopmund with 4th place going to Lee-Roy Olivier from Windhoek.

13-18 years Category: This category was won by Marieke Derks from Swakopmund. Marieke, 14 years old, also came second in the Overall category. Sylvia Kandiri, Rikuvera Mireti and Jafet Namgombe from Otjiwarongo came 2 nd, 3rd and 4th consecutively with Elizabeth Sankwasa from Windhoek in the fifth place.

Overall Category: Winner: Cecilia Fourie, 6 year old from Windhoek. Second place Marieke Derks from Swakopmund; Marieke is 14 Years old. Third place went to four year old Lea Redlinghuys from Windhoek.

Reasons: Bright colours, healthy theme is clearly portrayed through the use of happy faces, the fruit tree, on the basket, clothes, hands of figures, smiles on the faces and the bicycle illustrating exercise as another form of health.


Second place:

Marieke Derks: Winner of 13-18 Category and also second place in the overall Category:


Below: Marieke’s artwork illustrating healthy eating, excellent use of colours and craftsmanship.

Dané Malan won second place in the 5-9 Years Category.

Below: Lené Liebenberg was a finalist.

Below: Wessel Kotze from Windhoek won third prize in the 0-5 years Category.

Below: The winning artworks were displayed in the shop windows of Homefurn in Maerua Mall. Top artwork: Winner of the 9-13 Years old category Mbariou Tjeriko from Otjiwarongo.

Below: Winner of the 9-13 Years old category Mbariou Tjeriko’s artwork from Otjiwarongo.

Below: Sylvia Kandiri’s artwork that won second place in the 13-18 Year category.
Sylvia, Mbariou, Jefet Namgomber and Rikuvera Mireti will still be handed their prizes at the Donatus School in Otjiwarongo.

Elizabeth Sankwasa from Windhoek with NMC Trustee member Leon Minders receiving her award for fifth place in the 13-18 years category. There were 639 entries overall.

Donovan Goaseb was a finalist in the 0-5 years category. Here he is receiving his award from NMC Principal Officer Hardie van Wyk.

Lea Redelinghuys won the 0-5 years category and an Overall third place. Here she is pictured with NMC Trustee Leon Minders. On the right is a framed copy of her artwork.


Below: Lea’s artwork. Judges comments: Excellent perception for 4 year old, spontaneous use of colour with the health theme clearly showing. The picture has a WOW factor!

Samora Naukushu receiving his third prize in the Category 5-9 years from NMC Trustee Leon Minders.


Below: Samora’s friendly pharmacist portrait in mixed media was very popular.

Below: Mia Brandt from Windhoek was third in the 0-5 years category.

Below: Miquela Lamperth from Windhoek receiving her prize for her fifth place in the 0-5 years old category from NMC Principal Officer Hardie van Wyk.

Below: Stacey-Lee van Rooi was a finalist in the 9-13 Years old Category.

Below: Participants and their families admiring the display in Homefurn’s shop window.

Three additional prize-giving ceremonies will still be held at schools in Walvis Bay, Swakopmund and Otjiwarongo.