A couple days ago, at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University, an awarding ceremony for the winners of the 2nd All-Ukrainian Photo Competition for Creative Youth Country of Changes was held on the initiative of Andrii Snizhko, journalist, photographer, teacher at the Institute of Journalism of Borys Hrynchenko Kyiv University. Only young authors, people under the age of 25, who were interested in photography, were allowed to participate in the competition.

This year, 9 winners, out of more than 200 applicants from ten regions of Ukraine, were chosen and became owners of the main prizes and special awards. In total, the professional jury had to evaluate more than 2000 photographs.

The Muslimah Issa Aisha Hamza Muhammad was among the finalists. Last year she participated in this competition and also reached the final:

- Changes start with you! Congratulations to all winners! – wrote the girl on her social network page, thanking the organizers for the opportunity to participate in such events. - Thanks to the organizers! Further better! For the second year in a row, I became a finalist at the Country of Changes Competition. This time the jury selected two of my photos.

The organizers and partners of the competition were the Boris Grinchenko Kyiv University, the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema and Television, Steps to the Future All-Ukrainian Innovative Platform, the Voice of Ukraine Verkhovna Rada’s newspaper, Astudia the TV Journalism Research Guidance Centre, NGO Tamara Kolomiets’ Fund Novotvir.

The concept and purpose of the competition were to encourage young photographers to visually represent Ukraine as adynamic society of active, conscious, patriotic, innovative, educated citizens, who are ready not to wait for the “better tomorrow”, but to act today, through their own efforts, local initiatives, conscious civic stance, changing Ukraine and the world for the better. According to the organizers, the competition aims to create and share a positive image of Ukraine, its particular regions, localities, communities and personalities; to promote the formation of a new creative and initiative generation; to develop the professional skills of photographers, artists, journalists, documentaries, etc .;  to search for "new names" among creative people in profession and everyday life; to support young authors; to extent the traditional education opportunities through the practical project implementation.