Timoun se Moun: A poetry competition to promote children’s rights in Haiti
A wounded country. Bent under the weight of a multidimensional crisis. Widespread violence. Hope slammed shut. A sacrificed generation. Children are increasingly threatened. They are increasingly confronted with all forms of vulnerability that hinder their overall development. ACTIF is launching the second edition of the "Timoun se Moun" poetry competition. A citizen initiative in which the organization uses writing as a springboard to build what life deprives Haitian children of.
Pain can be turned into gold. For ACTIF (Community Action for Transformation and Formal Integration), poetry is a philosopher’s stone. Not only for this organization, but also for all those who believe that writing can help rekindle the stars. Faced with this urgent need for action, this is "an initiative to raise awareness, denounce, and affirm loud and clear that every child matters, every child deserves protection, hope, and a future," reads the competition’s descriptive document.
So what do you intend to do with your human light? Through this competition, participants have the opportunity to engage in an act of resistance, like a cry of conscience to raise the voice of broken childhoods. Open from May 18 to June 18, "Timoun se Moun" is open to all Haitians living in the country and aged 18 and over. Texts must be submitted in Creole. Behind this initiative, ACTIF intends, on the one hand, to affirm our cultural and linguistic identity, and on the other, to enrich our Creole literature, promote it, and encourage creativity in our vernacular.
The text must not exceed 500 words. The format chosen is PDF, Times New Roman font, size 12, and 1.5 line spacing. This competition aims to offer a touch of affection to these children who are the first victims of the country’s descent into hell.
To evaluate the literary quality and essence of the submitted texts, a jury is composed of Ruthza Paul, Douglas Zamor, and Darly Renois. The former is a physician and winner of the first edition of this competition. The other two work in the fields of sociology, psychology, and literature.
In addition to the "Jury Prize: 15,000 HTG + books + certificate" and "Audience Prize: 5,000 HTG + certificate + books" prizes, the best texts will be included in an anthology to be published by Éditions Répérages. It should be noted that there will be one winner for each prize. This initiative reflects ACTIF’s commitment to honoring authors who embrace the cause of underprivileged children while enriching Haiti’s literary heritage.
This competition extends a helping hand to all those who believe that through poetry, one can transform one’s life into a masterpiece. At the same time, it offers the opportunity to contribute to ACTIF’s child protection program. Each participant may submit a single text. It must be sent by email to the following address: actifkonkoupwezi@gmail.com. The partial results will be published on June 30, 2025, and the final results on July 18, 2025.
For more information, visit ACTIF at the following address: 18 Rue Desdunes, Imp. Thoby, Mahotière 79, Carrefour, Haiti, or contact the organization at the following number: (+509) 38 44 57 57.
More than just a contest, ACTIF invites you to say No. No to forgetting. No to passivity. No to violence against children and the violation of their rights.
Fier de toi tendre Amie femme forte femme de courage continuer de briller que le DIEU tout Puissant puisse hulliminer ton parcours
March 07, 2025 - 07:57:05 AMJe tiens a feliciter Madame Jennifer EUGÈNE pour son courage exemplaire,malgre les difficultes rencontrees actuellement dans son pays a cause de la crise politique qui sevit depuis quelques annees deja,elle s'est armee de courage pour materialiser sa pensee,elle continue a promouvoir la culture Haytienne a travers ses oeuvres poetiques.Elle encourage les jeunes ecolieres et ecoliers,et tous indistinctement a s'adonner davantage a la lecture lors de la vente signature de "Siwo lanmou" a Radio Television Caraibes en Decembre 2023.Je vous encourage a lire cette etoile montante, une Grande Dame de la culture Haytienne a travers ses ecrits: "Siwo lanmou" deja paru et toujours disponible et son recent recueil de poesie "sekous kè"
March 07, 2025 - 12:27:21 PMFelicitations Madame Eugène!Notre pays a besoin de jeunes talents et de modele comme vous pour continuer a inspirer et a inciter les jeunes a lire et a produire davantage.Merci encore pour "Siwo lanmou"C'est un regal! Maintenant je suis entrain de savourer "Sekous ke". Je vous invite a faire comme moi en vous procurant ses recueils pour encourager et souvenir son travail si louable et passionant pour la poesie.
Quelqu'un qui sait communiquer avec l'âme des gens est plus qu'exceptionnel. Très chère, continue à nous éblouir, nous sommes fiers de toi.
March 07, 2025 - 01:03:45 PMMes sincères Félicitations Jennifer!
Un modèle de courage et de persévérance. Les jeunes d'aujourd'hui doivent prendre exemple sur elle. Je suis fier de toi.
March 08, 2025 - 09:21:25 AM