14-year-old awarded for Africa’s best song in Germany
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
14-year-old Amanda Gaju . Photo/ Courtesy.

AMANDA GAJU, a second year student at Groupe Scolaire Notre Dame d’ Afrique Nyundo won a special prize for Africa with her song dubbed "Together” at the "Dein Song für EINE WELT” (Your song for one world), a song contest based in Germany.

Amanda got the registration information from her mother. As soon as she read the rules of the contest where she was qualified to compete in the fourth edition. She participated in the competition out of the 600 songs, 30 songs were removed and Amanda’s song "Together” was among the selected waiting for the final round to find the first place winner in the prix special pour l’Afrique.

Gaju got the good news that she won a trophy for Africa at 3,000 euros, after which her song will be released at a professional studio in Germany. Improving her song in the professional studio is one of the prizes expected to be held in Germany in February 2022.

"I am grateful to everyone who supported me to reach this milestone, especially the Director of Groupe Scolaire Notre Dame d’ Afrique Nyundo who gave the permission to go the studio, Ms. Laurette and Pastor Gerhard who helped to get to the studio. I also thank Mlle Hardi who helped me to revise and edit the song, and of course my mother who accompanied her to the studio.

The jury also awarded three special prizes. Gaju from Rwanda won the special prize for Africa with her song "Together." The song "Sweet World" by the joint music project from Burkina Faso and Germany was awarded the special prize "Partnership Cooperation" for the first time. And the special prize "Best Song Lyrics" went to Lasse Kebelmann from Berlin for his song "Steht jetzt auf".

Every two years, the song contest invites children and young adults in Germany and in countries of the Global South to musically explore development policy topics. The song contest was established in 2015 as a measure from the global development in the German education systems programme, that is implemented by Engagement Global on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The aim of the song contest is to acquaint children, teenagers and young adults with topics of development policy and to strengthen the creative or rather musical exploration of the field of global development education both in school and lessons as well as beyond the school context.

 The jury awarded 20 places for the "EINE WELT” album (One World album) Vol. 4, which will be released in spring 2022. The participate at the "Dein Song für EINE WELT" (Your song for ONE WORLD) Contestants should be between 10 and 25 years old.