Left-Right: EU Delegation’s Chargé Alessandro Rossi, Peter Opio Wani representing Santo Opio and Eye Radio’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Pal Koang at the prize award ceremony on Tuesday.

The two winners of the Europe Day Celebration Quiz on 10^th May have received their prizes from the European Union Delegation to South Sudan.

Given the public gathering restrictions occasioned by the outbreak of COVID-19, the Delegation organised a virtual event on Eye Radio’s Dawn show, during which Ambassador Christian Bader highlighted the history, significance and relevance of Europe Day, the 9 May 1950.

Ambassador Christian Bader during the Dawn Show on 10th May.

“At that time, countries in Europe had gone across many wars for centuries, the worst being the first and second world wars. Many Europeans like Robert Schuman thought that we had to do something to make it not only impossible but also unthinkable for war to occur in Europe,” Ambassador Bader said during the Show.

“The best at that time was to have a political cooperation and to pull coal and steel together and that was the beginning of European Union. After that, we have to recognise it worked. Within the European Union for 70 years, there has been peace. It never happened before in the old continent.”

Celebrated South Sudanese musician Emmanuel Kembe partook on the show by performing live music inspired by the value of diversity and joining forces for the common good. The show also included a quiz, where two winners emerged.

Santos Opio in Wau, Western Barh el Ghazal State, working with a National Non-Governmental Organisation (NNGO) Hold the Child won a laptop and Emmanuel Morbe, a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Driver in Juba, Central Equatoria State walked away with a solar power kit consisting of panel, battery, inverter and charge controller.

“I am happy to be the winner of this solar kit. I will use the solar at my home,” Morbe whose wife recently gave birth to triplets happily said as he received his prize from the European Union Delegation’s Chargé Alessandro Rossi and Eye Radio’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Pal Koang on Tuesday. 

PSV Driver, Emmanuel Morbe, the solar kit winner at the EU offices in Juba on Tuesday.

Peter Opio Wani representing Santo Opio currently in Wau said the laptop would not only help his colleague but the whole of Hold the Child.

Mr Rossi said the prizes demonstrate the European Union’s commitment to support South Sudanese households and individuals to better their living conditions.

“I am very happy to handover these prizes today. We hope that by knowing more about the European Union, the South Sudanese can also be inspired by EU values,” Mr. Rossi said. “This is a symbol of the concrete help that we want to give to the people of South Sudan in an environmentally sustainable way and to support digitalization.”

Europe Day held on 9 May every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic 'Schuman declaration'. At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.

Left-Right:Eye Radio’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Pal Koang, Emmanuel Morbe, EU Delegation’s Chargé Alessandro Rossi, Peter Opio Wani representing Santo Opio and David Ariic of Eye Radio at the min-prize award ceremony on Tuesday.