After waiting for quite a long time, today the results of the YoBloCo Awards have finally been announced and this Blog (Nawsheen’s World) is the first prize winner for Individual category [Yayyyyy!!]. The Results for both individual and institutional category can be viewed HERE.
Having been one of the 15 finalists for the Individual Category, I believed that this blog had the chance to be in the 3 best ones, but in my mind the first prize was out of question since the blog of some other participants were very good. When I saw the results, I could actually hear my heartbeats and was speechless for a while [hard to explain these emotions]. This was followed by a flashback of how it all happened…
I started blogging in 2010, where I was sharing my thoughts, posting songs and random agriculture-related videos which I liked. Then, in March 2011, I was among the 30 youths who participated in the Youth Exchange and Training Workshop on Web 2.0 for Agricultural and Rural Development held in Accra, Ghana, within the framework of the ARDYIS project by CTA. After this experience I understood the importance of ICTs in Agriculture, and started to experiment different Web 2.0 tools in my daily activities and also wrote more on Agriculture.
On the announcement of the Yobloco Awards, I decided to participate and got more serious about my blog. The objective was to share maximum information I can on Agriculture, youth leadership and ICTs. In this process I was always curious and doing my best to make the blog as innovative as I can. Blogging gradually became my hobby and I always look around me to see what I can write about. This just went on for months and I enjoyed it (and still enjoying) so much!
This is my first Award in Agriculture and words cannot describe my happiness. Through this blog, I believe that Agriculture can be made attractive to other youths like me and by sharing my experiences, they would be able to see what it is like being in the agricultural sector, for one cannot understand agriculture until he/she gets involved in it. Also, the information which is shared may be useful to people in Agriculture (Mauritius and other countries as well). Since the launch of the YoBloCo Awards, the page views of the blog have increased, I have got many emails which show the interest of people in agriculture and innovations in this sector, and opportunities and challenges faced by youths in Agriculture have also been highlighted. Moreover, the YoBloCo gave me the opportunity to know some of the youth participants (virtually) and we have been sharing experiences, information and opportunities in Agriculture among ourselves.
My heartiest congratulations to the other winners and all participants of the competition! According to me, each blog that has been submitted in each category has something special in it, and whether it has been selected or not, the youths should continue updating their blogs since there are so many advantages of having a blog.
Thanks to all the people who have voted for my blog and those who have always supported me (especially my family, friends and colleagues). Special thanks to CTA which is doing a lot for youths in Agriculture through the ARDYIS project.
Last, but not the least, today Mauritius is celebrating its 44th Independence Day and I’m very proud to be Mauritian! 🙂
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Congrats. Hard work pays off, especially when you put your heart in it.
Thanks Yashvin! Yes, my heart was certainly in it! 🙂
congrats!
Thank you!
Hi, Nawsheen. Well done. Keep it up. I need some training from you indeed.
Regards
Shane Hardowar
Thanks Sir! Sure, anytime! 🙂
Here is Frejus T. Coordinator of YouDev (www.youdev-acp.org), a new international platform for ACP youth capacity building in sustainable development. Just to congratulate you Nawsheen. Proud to know young people are working like this 4 Africa development…
Thank you so much! And I just went on the website of your organization, which is very interesting. Keep up the good work! 🙂
I am readng this rather late but also congratulate you for such an achievement. I am not a youth but very concerned about empowering the youth to be change agents like you. In this regard, i would like you to be introduced to a youth led national coffee farmers organization (NUCAFE) in Uganda which has changed not only the youth but as an advocate for the voiceless. ICT is a major tool which can change the lives of the youth engaged in agriculture.
James Kizito-Mayanja
Principal Information Officer, Uganda Coffee Development Authority