STC Secretariat Organizes Spoken-Word Poetry Competition for Children of the South

The Women and Children Department (WCD) and Media and Cultural Department (MCD) at the General Secretariat of the Presidium of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) organized on Thursday an art of spoken-word poetry competition for children of the South, in coordination with the Women and Children Administration and the Culture Office in the capital, Aden, under the generous patronage of President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, President of the STC.

At the beginning of the competition, which was opened with reciting verses from the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem of the South, and attended by Ms. Ishtiaq Mohammed Saad, Director General of the General Department of Women's Development, the head of the WCD, Ms. Yasmin Musaed, delivered a speech in which she welcomed the attendees and explained the importance of supporting talents and standing by the children of the South, highlighting the commitment and interest of the STC, led by President Zubaidi, in children, who represent the youth of tomorrow and the very pillar of the future.

Mr. Amr Aqeel, Deputy Head of the MCD at the Secretariat, gave a speech in which he expressed his happiness at the great participation in the art of spoken-word poetry competition for children of the South, outlining key criteria of the competition, including the selection of age-appropriate poems, their memorability, and the quality of the poetic delivery.

For his part, poet Osama Al Mehwari, Deputy Director of the Culture Office in the capital, Aden, delivered remarks in which he praised the tireless efforts of both the WCD and the MCD, and discussed the importance of providing the appropriate support and encouragement to nurture talented children and youth across all fields, especially in literature and culture, and highlighted cooperation and joint work in guiding children and helping them to progress for the better to reach their full potential.

Children participants took the stage before the competition panel—comprised of poet Amr Aqeel, poetess Sabrin al‑Hasani, and poet Osama al‑Mehwari—to present a series of poems that received warm acclaim from the audience. As the event drew to a close with several musical performances, the winning children were announced and awarded honorary shields and certificates of appreciation, and prizes were distributed to all participants.