Winners of the “Young Francophone Reporters” competition 2020, the fifth of its kind, were honoured at an award ceremony held in Hanoi on November 13. 

VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh (R) and Chief Representative of
the BRAP – OIF Chékou Oussouman (L) present first prize to Mai Khanh Ly
(Photo: VNA)

The contest was launched by Le Courrier du Vietnam (CVN), a weekly French language newspaper of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Regional Office (RBAP) of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF); the embassies of France, Belgium, Morocco, Switzerland and Canada; the Francophone University Agency (AUF); and others.

The first prize, including a laptop and one-year free readership of Le Courrier du Vietnam, went to Mai Khanh Ly with two works "Comment les vendeurs ambulants vivent-ils pendant la crise du COVID-19? (How do street vendors earn a living during COVID-19?) and "Qu’ont fait les jeunes Vietnamiens pendant le confinement?" (What do young Vietnamese do during the social distancing period?”

The second prize, including a tablet and six-month free readership of Le Courrier du Vietnam, was granted to Nguyen Thi Ba Ninh with the work "COVID-19: La menace des déchets plastiques pour l’environnement!" (COVID-19: Threat of plastic waste to the environment!). 

Le Thi Doan Trang earned the third prize worth a smart phone and six-month free readership for the work "Les diplômés de la saison COVID-19: une génération chancelante" (Worry of graduates during COVID-19 era).

Two consolation and other auxiliary prizes were also presented. 

At the event, VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh said the competition contributes to encouraging youths to speak their feelings about Vietnam and its people during the fight against the global pandemic.

On the occasion, he affirmed the VNA’s support for the Francophone development in Vietnam, thus creating favourable conditions for Le Courrier du Vietnam to fulfill its important task.

Chékou Oussouman, Chief Representative of the BRAP – OIF and co-head of the organising board, said the event attracted 121 entries by 150 contestants from many countries who reflected their perspectives on the pandemic such as online learning, fake news, effective COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Entries to the final round will be published on the special issue of the newspaper, which will be presented to embassies and Francophone organisations, universities at home and abroad, and all contestants.

Editor-in-Chief of Le Courrier du Vietnam Nguyen Thu Ha, co-head of the organising board, said the competition has helped spread French teaching and learning movement in Vietnam and creating a creative playing ground for Francophone youths.