Writer from the Upper East Region, Sandra Mbamah Sore, has placed second in the senior category of the AKAYA Empowered Inkwell writing contest. Her achievement came with a cash prize of three thousand cedis.
Ms. Sore’s non-fiction titled “Free My Soul”, which drew inspiration from “the ups and downs of being an only female among five children and a female in the northern Ghanaian setting” won her the prestigious award.
In a Facebook post detailing her experience participating in the writing contest, she wrote, “Earlier in February, I came across the link to a writing contest by AKAYA, the Empowered Inkwell writing contest for young females in Ghana with the theme ‘Identity and Self-discovery’. At first, I thought it would take so much guts for me to attempt a thing like that, so I scrolled through and went about my normal activities. After a while, I came across the link again on WhatsApp, and there I had a second thought. I have written short stories and poems over the years that I didn’t think were good enough to share with anyone, but coming across the Inkwell contest felt to me like a fresh start. I decided I was going to attempt it.”
In the Facebook post, Ms. Sore explained that “limitations are a mindset problem. All I had to do was just try.”
Speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, the writer explained that writing goes beyond the ability to string words together to an avenue to properly convey thoughts and emotions.
“Writing for me is more than just a task or skill; it’s a way of life that allows me to express myself fully, articulate my thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a way that resonates with others. A way of building deep connections with my world.”
Building on the recent achievement, Ms. Sore hopes to begin writing professionally.
“Writing is not something I do when I want to; I just do it. It has become a part of me. I pen down every little detail of whatever I feel should be written. This contest is just a highlight of my writing dreams. I didn’t think I was good enough to be out there as a writer, especially since I don’t have any background in writing. As a matter of fact, I read engineering in school, but the Empowered Inkwell writing contest for Ghanaian females has given me the permission to consider writing professionally and share myself more with the world through writing. So yes, expect more from me going forward. Thank you.”
AKAYA foundation is a UK and Ghana registered non-profit organization focusing on the personal and professional development of the next generation of African female leaders by building their confidence, centering their voices, and ensuring they reach their full potential.
It is an organization dedicated to seeing that all African girls and young women have the confidence to take ownership of their journeys in good knowledge and good health, in order to thrive in their own world and that of the next generations.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Bolgatanga|
