“The launch of the Short Story contest stems from RTA’s care for the youth, and underscores its determination to encourage them to read & write as we perceive a social responsibility in this regard,” said Ms. Moaza Al Marri, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, RTA. “The conditions set for the contest are summarized in that the story must revolve around the concept of “Life is a Journey” i.e. details of the story must be linked to a real-life scenario experienced by the contestant with one of public transport modes. The underlying idea is to sensitize the rising generation about the importance of public transport, and how it can be part of our daily life.
Stories have to target four age groups, each has a story with a specific number of words. The first story for those aged 11 and below is required to comprise of 500 words, the second story targets the age group 12-14 years and comprises 1000 words, the third targets the age bracket 15-17 years and comprises 1500 words, and the fourth targets those aged 18 and above, for who a story of 2000 words is required to be written,” elaborated Al Marri.
“Details, conditions and procedures of participating in the contest are explained in the webpage of Read More initiative (www.rtareadmore.ae). The contestant can contribute more than one story in Arabic and English, and may attach illustrative drawings, if needed. One Arabic story and one English story would be selected for each of the four age groups, and the top 10 participants would be decorated with certificates of appreciation and gifts. The winning stories would be printed and distributed to libraries of metro stations, school libraries, and the Knowledge Chair recently provided in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation at Rashidiya and Abu Hail Bus Stations, the premises of Public Transport Agency at Muhaisna, and the Customers Service Centers at Al Barsha and Umm Al Romool. The locations of the Knowledge Chair would keep changing every month or two as it would rotate between bus stations and customer service centers in order to encourage more public to read more, and accordingly broaden the number of readers in support of Read More initiative,” she continued.
“RTA is always keen on launching initiatives aligned with its social responsibility towards the local community. The Short Story competition and Read More initiative are part of these initiatives responding to community events held in various occasions through playing an effective role in supporting them,” concluded Al Marri.
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