"Faithful Stewardship"

About the Competition

"Faithful Stewardship," the 2017 competition, was designed to complement the church's newly launched Food Pantry and weekly volunteer programme. The competition asked young writers to reflect on what it means to steward well — not just material resources, but time, influence, relationships, and opportunity.

The timing of the competition — April to July — allowed students to submit during a less pressured part of the academic calendar, and entries reflected the thoughtfulness that extra time allowed. 88 entries were submitted from across the district.

For the first time, the competition was promoted through local radio and three WhatsApp community groups, significantly widening participation beyond the church's immediate network.

Competition Theme

Responsible and faithful care of resources, relationships, time, and community.

Writers were encouraged to approach the theme through personal narrative, theological reflection, argumentative essay, or a combination of these forms.

Who Can Enter

• Open to residents of Gandaki Province aged 16 to 30
• Submissions welcome from all backgrounds and faiths
• Must not have won a previous Olive Branch Essay Competition
• Original, unpublished work; one entry per person

Word limit: 800 – 2,000 words  ·  Language: English or Nepali

Criteria

All submissions are reviewed by a panel of church elders, educators, and community representatives. Entries are scored across four weighted criteria:

Deadlines