Kawkib Mohamud, a six-year-old Somali boy, was one of the top 10 first prize winners in the “My Dream” painting competition for African youth. His painting, titled “Soomaaliya oo Nabdoon” or “Peaceful Somalia,” claimed the eighth spot in the competition. The contest, co-hosted by the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and China Manned Space Engineering Office, selected only 10 first prize winners, 15 second prize winners, and 25 third prize winners. The competition aimed to provide African youths with the opportunity to express their hopes and dreams through artwork and was launched on March 1.
According to a press statement from the co-hosts on March 1, African youths were encouraged to submit their paintings depicting their dreams and aspirations to Chinese Embassies in their respective countries. The African youth have shown a strong interest in the field of aerospace and their desire to “fly into space” someday. Chinese Embassies in Africa played a crucial role in facilitating these dreams, creating an opportunity for young Africans to have their aspirations reach the vast universe.
The Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and China Manned Space Engineering Office co-hosted a painting competition called “My Dream” for African youths starting on March 1. The competition welcomed the participation of teenagers and young children in Somalia, asking them to submit paintings that portrayed their hopes and dreams.
Mohamud was one of the many African children who responded to the call for participation in the competition. He painted a dove representing peace and wrote “My Dream” at the top and “Peaceful Somalia” at the bottom of his artwork. His painting fulfilled the competition theme and won first prize in Somalia, earning him the eighth spot in Africa. On September 13, the Chinese Embassy in Somalia held an award ceremony for Mohamud for his participation in the “My Dream” Painting Competition for African Youth in Mogadishu, Somalia.
During the ceremony, the embassy’s press release stated that the Chinese Embassy in Somalia hosted an award ceremony for Somali children who took part in the “My Dream” Painting Competition for African Youth. Somali participants joined a live broadcast event held in Beijing, which included a dialogue between Chinese Taikonauts and African youths. H.E. Ambassador Fei Shengchao and State Minister of Somali Ministry of Education, Culture & Higher Education, H.E. Nura Mustaf Mukhtar, attended the ceremony and presented awards to the children.
At the Mid-Autumn Movie Reception of Wandering Earth II event in Mogadishu, on October 5, H.E. Ambassador Fei Shengchao, the Chinese Ambassador to Somalia, mentioned the successful Somali chapter of the “My Dream” Painting Competition for African Youth. He highlighted the first prize-winning painting of a dove for peace created by six-year-old Kawkib Mohamud. This painting was launched into space and exhibited in China’s space station, marking a new milestone in the historical friendship between China and Somalia.
According to the Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu, there were a total of 10 first prize winners in the competition. Seven Somali paintings were selected as entries, with Kawkib Mohamud’s dove for peace painting earning the top spot. The painting was launched into space and displayed in China’s space station, making history. H.E. Ambassador Fei Shengchao praised the children who participated in the competition for their talent and expressed hope that the winner and participants would continue to pursue their space dreams, further strengthening the friendship between China and Somalia. The Chinese Embassy in Somalia also pledged to actively promote cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries.
State Minister H.E. Nura Mustaf Mukhtar commended the Chinese side for its support in education and for encouraging Somali children to pursue their dreams, contributing to the Somalia-China friendship. The children expressed their gratitude to the Chinese side for organizing the competition and providing them with the opportunity to pursue their space dreams. They expressed a desire for more similar activities, allowing more Somali teenagers to realize their dreams and carry forward the friendship between Somalia and China.
The Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation congratulates the first prize award-winning African youths.
The first prize winners – List
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