A Czech schoolgirl wins first prize in the UPU's 2009 International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People
Dominika Koflerová (14) from Frýdek-Místek is the author of this year's world best letter. For the first time in the 38 years' history of the Universal Postal Union's letter-writing competition a Czech youngster won a medal.
Almost 60 countries and more than 1 million children took part in the competition on the theme: "Write a letter explaining how decent working conditions can lead to a better life". The theme had been chosen by the organising Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the UNESCO jointly with the International Labour Organization.
Dominika will receive the prize in the early November in Geneva, Switzerland, from Edouard Dayan, Director General of the UPU International Bureau, and Juan Somavio, Director General of the International Labour Organization.
The letter, addressed by Dominika, a 9th-grade pupil attending the Elementary School in Lískovec u Frýdku-Místku, to her sister, describes a chocolate bar produced in Zambia as part of the fair trade concept. "The Zambian producer who made it received enough money to give him and his family a decent living," wrote Dominika in her letter and added: "It was interesting and quite pleasing to learn that there are organisations that take care of such people, buy their products and sell them in Europe and elsewhere; the price is higher than usual but it provides the producer with an adequate income."
The national letter-writing competition has been organised by the Czech Post jointly with the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade since 1995. In the Czech Republic, it has been accompanied with a letter-writing competition for children younger than 12.
The winners of the national competition, attended by 243 pupils from 133 elementary and lower secondary schools, were announced on May 27th, 2009. The competition for younger children attracted 613 letters.