The National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) on Wednesday, October 18, presented the Best Science, Technology and Innovation Communicator Award to Patrick Nzabonimpa, a reporter for The New Times, in recognition of his contribution to raising awareness about science, technology, and innovation in Rwanda.
In the awarding ceremony held in Kigali, the NCST also awarded four researchers for their "outstanding” contributions to addressing societal challenges at the national level.
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Nzabonimpa, who joined The New Times in June 2021, also bagged Rwf6 million after outcompeting eight journalists who applied for the prize.
"This is a great achievement for me,” Nzabonimpa said. "It motivates me to keep reporting about tech as well as science and innovation, the fields that I am so passionate about.”
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The holder of an advanced diploma in electrical and electronics engineering from IPRC Kigali believes his passion for science and technology stems from his academic background.
"I would like to extend my appreciation to The New Times for always supporting my efforts,” he said.
Upskilling in fast-moving world
The 24-year-old reporter who is also passionate about informing his Rwandan audience about Artificial Intelligence (AI) said the NCST prize is only a shot in the arm.
"This prize just proved to me that what I do is important not only to me but to the Rwandan community,” he said.
"I realised that many people actually read my stories and get educated or perhaps informed. This is a wake-up call for me to continue enhancing my tech reporting and writing skills as it holds a great treasure. The world is rapidly going digital and technology, science and innovation are the key drivers.”
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Other awardees
The researchers whose work was recognised by the NCST are: Dr. Egide Kalisa, who received the Most Accomplished Researcher Award, with a prize of Rwf10 million; Prof. Jean Marie Ntaganda the Most Innovative Researcher, who scooped a Rwf8 million prize, Dr. Peace Bamuligire, who got the Women Researcher Award, with a prize of Rwf8 million; and Dr. Kizito Nkurikiyeyezu who was presented with the Promising Young Researcher Award, and Rwf6 million.
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Nzabonimpa’s upcoming book
Nzabonimpa does not only write news stories.
He is also an up-and-coming poet and creative writer whose work has been recognised by African literary magazines such as Brittle Paper and WSA Magazine.
His first fiction book, a collection of short stories, titled "A Thread of Silent Echoes,” will be published in November 2023. It’s a compilation of 13 carefully selected stories about subjects like complexities of a family, stigma, and emotional pain.
"I compiled the collection, first of all, to celebrate my five-year journey as a short story writer,” said Nzabonimpa, who believes the positive feedback he got for his published work was an encouragement to do more.
"I thought it was time I compiled a collection to share with more readers. And I hope they will learn an array of new things from the stories or, at least, enjoy my writing.”
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The PenPen African Writers Residency alumnus and one of the recipients of the 2020 Empower Africa Now award in the short story category, aspires to be one of the shapers of Rwanda’s budding short story writing culture.
"In Rwanda, we don&039;t have many short story collections, with stories set in the country. My book is also a contribution to the local literary industry,” he said.