Girl, 11, one of masthead competition winners

ELEVEN-year-old Margaret Makao is one of this week’s masthead competition winners in Port Moresby.
It was her first shot at The National competition and was extremely excited when claiming her K250 prize money.
She will use the money to buy a new pair of running shoes and share the rest with her brother on school stationery.
“Because I love playing sports, I will buy a new pair of shoes,” she said.
Makao is from Enga and doing grade five at Wardstrip Demonstration Primary.
Another winner, Emmanuel Gorea Jr, is 14 and doing grade nine at Paradise College (Port Moresby).
He wants to save the prize money for his tickets to travel to West New Britain to see his parents during the holidays.
Gabi Lofena has won The National’s masthead competition in Port Moresby twice now.
Lofena will use the prize money to pay for his outstanding school fees at De La Salle Secondary School to get his grade 12 certificate.
He said he had been saving up to pay for his outstanding fees and winning the competition had just made it that easier to get his certificate and continue with his education.
“I graduated in 2017 but because of outstanding school fees I did not get my year 12 certificate so I am now trying to enrol for short courses at the Ginigoada Foundation for which I need my certificate,” he said.
Gabi said he enjoyed reading his favourite newspaper, especially the sports section.
Thomas Badui, from Western Highlands, also won the masthead competition.
He loves reading the newspaper and seeing other people winning motivated him to enter. He won in his first attempt. Badui is self-employed and the prize money would help him buy a food blender for his herbal business.
“I normally make herbs from fruits and sell to support my family and to help sick people,” he said
Badui, 41, lives with his wife at Konedobu, and said he was delighted the newspaper enabled people to win cash prizes.