Africa-Press – Malawi. In a thrilling showcase of youthful talent and theatrical excellence, Nkhata-Bay Boys Secondary School (NKHABOSS) once again stole the spotlight, emerging as Northern Education Division (NED) Drama Champions for the second year running.
Hosted at Mzuzu Government Secondary School on Saturday, the drama festival was organized by the Association for the Teaching of English in Malawi (ATEM) and featured eight schools competing under the timely theme of Human Trafficking.
NKHABOSS impressed the panel of three judges with their powerful play, “The Hidden Harvest,” which tackled human trafficking with depth and creativity. They edged out St Ignatius Secondary School, whose performance “The Unseen Chains” earned them second place, while Mzimba Secondary School came in third with “Why Us?”
Defending the title was no easy task, said NKHABOSS patron Cuthbert Ziba, who applauded the students’ dedication.
“We knew the competition would be tougher this year. St Ignatius and Mzimba both had strong teams—some of their patrons trained at NKHABOSS, so they brought our spirit with them. But our boys gave their all. We’re humbled and ready for the national stage,” he said.
Another standout of the day was 16-year-old Betina Siyani of St Mary’s Karonga Girls Secondary School, who walked away with a double accolade: Best Actress and Best English Speaker. Her school placed fourth overall.
“It feels amazing. I’ve learned a lot today, especially how dangerous and devastating human trafficking is. These performances truly educate. I’ll keep pushing to do even better next year,” said Betina.
Education Division Manager for the North, Jennings Matalabanda Kayira, who officially opened the event, praised drama as a transformative tool in education.
“Drama empowers students to speak out, build confidence, and spread important messages. This year’s theme—human trafficking—is a national concern, and the students tackled it brilliantly,” said Kayira.
ATEM NED Chairperson, John Njawala, was equally pleased with the performances.
“We didn’t perform well at the nationals last year. That’s why we started early this time, right from district level. I’m confident our representatives will shine at the national stage. Next year, we aim to begin even earlier—from cluster level,” he added.
The competition brought together eight district champions:
Likoma Secondary School (Likoma)
St Ignatius Secondary School (Chitipa)
Mchengautuba CDSS (Mzuzu City)
Kafukule CDSS (Mzimba North)
Mzimba Secondary School (Mzimba South)
Rumphi Secondary School (Rumphi)
Nkhata-Bay Boys Secondary School (Nkhata-Bay)
Prize Winners:
🥇 NKHABOSS – K500,000
🥈 St Ignatius – K300,000
🥉 Mzimba Secondary – K200,000
The 2024 ATEM NED Drama Festival was proudly sponsored by Standard Bank and MobiSchool, whose continued support fuels young talent and raises awareness on key social issues.
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