Deadline: 31 March 2009

For more information visit http://www.oxfam.org.uk/susiesmith 

That journey has taken me through thousands of websites and seen me witness technological wonders unfold before my very eyes.

My realisation, over and over again, is that the Internet is a place of great opportunities. Opportunities to meet new people. Opportunities to make new friends. Opportunities to make a living. Opportunities to create wealth. Opportunities to learn, to teach, to share knowledge, to collaborate, to dream, to make dreams come true.

Aripano Infinity, and Zimbablog (thank you all so much for supporting Zimbablog!), were born on the back of one of the biggest heart breaks of my life. But thanks to that heart break I was pushed to search harder than before for the trail of opportunity that lies hidden in the clutter of the web.

I am finding parts of it- in exciting chunks that I would like to share with anyone who feels that they too are born to build a livelihood through the Internet or who simply wants to understand better the Way of the Web. These are tools and tricks that are used by the most successful websites around the world.

I would like to share them with you because I have been given them for free by the men and women who have gone before me. I would like to share them with you because they have changed my life and I believe they can change yours- and change Zimbabwe for the better.

Let’s share. Let’s run the opportunity marathon together >>

This year Environment Africa celebrates the 10th anniversary of the environmental reporter of the year awards with a special new twist- a photographic competition open to anyone with a camera.

According to Deliwe Utete, the Public Relations and Communications Manager for Environment Africa, unlike the actual environmental reporter awards competition that is open to strictly practising journalist whose works must have been published or broadcast this competition is open to everyone with no limits in terms of age, occupation etc.

All photographs entered must be the entrant’s original work. Verification will be done for short-listed photographs to ensure that their pictures are original. See other conditions below.

Several other events are lined up for the media and other stakeholders to celebrate the decade. The winner of the photography competition will be announced at an environmental reporter awards decade celebration grand event that will be held in November.

The open photography competition is sponsored by Rainbow Tourism Group and Environment Africa and the Environmental Reporter Awards by Environment Africa, RTG, NetOne and Blue Arrow.

Competition Rules

• The competition is open to all residents of Zimbabwe.
• Only digital and still photographs will be accepted.
• Individuals may send a maximum of three pictures.
• Entries should be accompanied by the name, age, occupation and contact details of the entrant.
• Each photograph should be submitted with its own caption.
• Deadline for entries is 30th September 2008
• Entries are to be
  posted to:
  The PR & Communication Department, Environment Africa, 76 Queen Elizabeth Road, Greendale, Harare
  or emailed to:
  eafrica.dev@utande.co.zw

You may call Deliwe on 04 492143/48/52 for more information.

The Prizes

• Holiday voucher for two (full board)
• Certificate and miniature trophy
• Cash Prize
• Photo exhibition for winner
• One month attachment with a regional environmental Non-Governemental Organisation

Are you an artist who is looking for money to fund your next book, film or dance project? Then perhaps the Culture Fund can help make your dreams come true as they already have for hundreds of Zimbabwean artists over the last two years.

^ A screenshot of the Culture Fund website homepage

The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust is the only organisation I know in Zimbabwe that will provide funding to organisations and individuals alike.

According to the Culture Fund website, the following are considered for funding:

“Zimbabweans or residents of Zimbabwe with legal status and a proven history of work in the culture sector as follows:

• Individual cultural agents operating independently or as a registered company
• Artists who work in groups
• Cultural Organizations
• Cultural Institutions”

You just need to have a solid proposal and your chances are pretty good that you can get some money.  See the list of approved projects for this year to see what I mean. A wide variety of groups and projects received funding.

By solid, I not only mean that your proposal should be workable, realistic and backed by a credible team or people who can implement it, but it should also align with the funding areas that are considered by the Culture Fund. Currently these are:

• Cultural Heritage
• Film -Audio Visual  & Multi-Media
• Fine Arts and Crafts
• Literature and Languages
• Performing Arts

And! There’s an interesting new twist to the funding process as from next year…

In his speech to mark the disbursement of grants to 2008, the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe board chairman made this interesting statement: “From 2009, the Culture Fund moves away from the once a year Call for Proposals and subsequent single disbursement.

We shall now invite stakeholders to send project proposals throughout the year, with disbursements being made at the end of the first and third quarters of each year.

It is our hope that these changes will provide greater access to application forms, ease the pressure to complete project proposals and may in some cases enhance the quality of submissions given the supporting mechanisms we are contemplating.”

Now that’s something worth getting excited about. So I say get those pens out and get those proposals written and ready!

And by the way- that Culture Fund website- it was designed by an interesting design house called Venekera Works.

The British Council in partnership with Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe (BWAZ) have launched a writing and theatre performance competition which is open to 15 to 25 year olds resident in Zimbabwe.

Here’s the advertorial for the competition:

The British Council in partnership with Budding Writers Association of Zimbabwe Trust is pleased to announce a project that seeks “to empower young people, develop and showcase creative skills, encourage a dynamic exchange of ideas and experience, explore contemporary issues, challenge assumptions and promote intercultural understanding” through writing and performance contests.

The competitions, involving both written and performance aspects will be run monthly follows:

August, September, October: Writing
November, December, January: Performance
February, March, April: Writing
May, June, July: Performance

Competition Rules & Conditions for August 2008

1. The competition is open to all registered BWAZ members aged between 15-25 years.
2. Entries can be in either Ndebele, Shona or English and must focus on the theme climate change (Kushanduka kwemamiriro ekunze/ Uku kwemumo womukati).
3. Entries must be fresh, original and not previously published.
4. Only one entry per person, with the participant’s full name, age, school or home address and a contact number all given on the cover page. The them must also be indicated on this page.
5. Entries must reach us by the end of the third week of August.
6. Please note that the competition entries cannot be returned under any circumstances. Make sure that you send COPIES only.
7. We reserve the right not to consider late entries or entries submitted by unregistered entrants.
8. Winning entries may be published.
9. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
10. The list of winners will be published in the press, BWAZ and British Council websites.
11. Cash prizes and book hampers to be won.
12. After every quarter, participants will be accorded an opportunity to attend mentoring sessions conducted by the competition judges on specific genres.

Submission Details

Entries can be hand delivered, posted or emailed to the following addresses:

Hand deliveries:
BWAZ National Office, 4th Floor Century House West, Corner Nelson Mandela/ Julius Nyerere, Harare
Or
Mr Christopher Mlalazi, Bulawayo Art Gallery
Or
BWAZ Chairpersons & Patrons in all areas and schools, all Provincial National Arts Council Offices.

Postal delivery:
The Director, BWAZ, Box HR259, Harare

Email:
bwaz@mweb.co.zw

Membership to BWAZ is open to all residents of Zimbabwe upon payment of a joining fee and yearly subscriptions. Please call 04- 771621, Email bwaz@mweb.co.zw for details.

The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

2008 marks The Arvon Foundation’s 40th birthday and the 14th Arvon International Poetry Competition. The competition is open to all poets around the world and poems are entered anonymously. There are no line or subject matter restrictions.

The judges for 2008 are UK Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, Moniza Alvi and Alice Oswald.

The deadline for entries is 15th August at 5pm.

Prizes -

Classic FM First Prize - £5000
Second Prize - £2500
Third Prize - £1000
Three commendation prizes - £500 each.

Ted Hughes Environmental Poetry Prize
of £1000 plus a selection of Ted Hughes publications.

:: Get more information from the Arvon Foundation website.

The theme for 2008 is Citizen Journalism, Journalism for Citizens. Highway Africa has a limited number of scholarships for practising African journalists who are keen on learning and using digital media.

Please note the emphasis on practising journalists. We do not have sponsorship for any other interested participants outside this category.

Deadline: 30 June 2008

:: Download call for applications document
:: Download Highway Africa 2008 concept document

Stories must be in English and be  4500 to 5000 words in length.

Competition Rules

1. Prize money will be distributed as follows: the winner will receive R25 000; first runner-up R15 000; second runner-up R12 000; third runner-up R8 000 and fourth runner-up R5 000
2. Platinum jewellery will be awarded at the judges’ discretion.
3. The competition is open to all residents of Southern Africa.
4. Stories must be in English, original and not previously published.
5. Stories must be between 4500 to 5000 words.
6. Stories must reach us by JUNE 30 2008.
7. Please note that stories will not be returned.
8. We reserve the right not to consider essays, plays, and scripts.
9. The author will be informed should any story be published or used in the Million Books Campaign or any other reading initiative. Payment for this is not guaranteed.
10. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
11. The list of winners will be published by all papers in which this advert appears, between 09-14 September 2008.
12. For all enquiries call 011 888 3104.

For more information email: Princess.

Awarding a total of R65000 in prize money and the
chance to win platinum jewellery!

We encourage you to start writing an exciting, gripping and original fictional story of between 4500 and 5000 words in English, typed or handwritten. This competition does not disqualify writers for imperfect grammar or spelling, as long as the story is interesting.

Please send your entry to the

BTA/Anglo Platinum Short Story Competition 2008
PO Box 66240
Broadway
2020
Johannesburg
South Africa

Download the entry form from: www.angloplatshortstory.com

Entries can be on any subject, but must be typed and of no more than 1500 words.

Entries, in an envelope clearly marked Intwasa Short Story Competition, should be sent to:

Intwasa Arts Festival
P.O. Box 28
Bulawayo

or delivered to the Intwasa Office:

Studio 1
National Gallery of Zimbabwe
75 Main St/L. Takawira Ave
Bulawayo.

Contact details, including postal address, telephone number and e-mail address should be included. Entries will not be acknowledged or returned to those who have submitted. Only those short-listed will be contacted.

The closing date is 23 August 2008.

The winners will be announced and prizes for the competition awarded during Intwasa, which runs from 23 to 27 September, and those winners attending the award ceremony may be asked to read from their winning entry.

There is no set length for the pieces, or any theme. We would prefer pieces that reflect life in Zimbabwe, and that are accessible to and have meaning for readers in the United Kingdom.

The final deadline for submissions is 31 August 2008, though we would be delighted to receive as many pieces as possible before then.

Please email submissions to amabooks@gator.co.zw. Unfortunately ‘amaBooks are not in a position to acknowledge receipt of submissions and only those whose pieces are chosen for the publication will be contacted. Copyright for the stories will remain with the author.