Toyota Kenya has announced winners for the 14th Dream Car Art Contest. The contest is a global competition held to encourage and inspire creativity in children as they imagine the future of mobility. Toyota Kenya invited children from across the country to share ideas about the future of mobility by drawing their dream car.
The top students were chosen after a 3-month long process of shortlisting finalists from over 800 entries. This year’s competition received entries from all over the country including Nairobi, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru and Kisii.
Toyota will now enter the art pieces from the three finalists in each category in the Toyota Global competition. At the global level, the winning student stands to win Ksh. 500,000 and the winning school Ksh. 1,000,000.
The winning project was by 15 year old Alex Mong’are from the Mukuru Art Collective. The project featured a Toyota smart car concept that ensures children go to school smart by plaiting, giving haircuts and new school uniforms. Mong’are took home Ksh. 50,000 while Mukuru Arts Collective received Ksh. 500,000 for educational purposes.
Other winners in different categories were Priyanka Shah in the Under 8 years category Toyota Magical Car that changes its shape through the entire journey around the world. Diyan Shah in the 8 years to 11 years category, with his Toyota Twin Car that can be used as one big family car or two separate cars. It attaches and detaches using magnetic force and has special roller wheels that absorbs bad gas. Both Priyanka and Diyan are from Premier Academy. They both took home Ksh. 50,000 each while the school received Ksh. 500,000 for educational purposes.
Toyota Kenya Managing Director, Arvinder Reel, said, “This year’s competition was themed around the challenges and opportunities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was interesting to receive entries that captured the theme from a mobility perspective. For instance, one of the entrants designed a vehicle in a shape of a mask that would offer a safe COVID-19 free holiday. It is wonderful to note that important health information such as the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 is trickling to our young ones.”
Speaking after being recognized as the winner in his category, Mong’are said, “I have been learning design at school and it’s in line with what I would want to be in the future, an architect. With this prize money, I help in opening a business for my family’s sustainability and also have some to pay school fees for my siblings and myself.”
Below is the full list of winners in each category
Category: 12 – 15 years
1st position: Alex Nyaonga Mong’are– Mukuru Art Collective
Concept: Toyota Smart Car – ensures children go to school smart by plaiting, giving haircuts and new school uniforms
2nd position: Aayushi Harshad Varsani – Oshwal Academy Nairobi Junior High
Concept: Toyota Telepathic Genie is a driverless car that is able to read one’s mind and transport them by teleportation to their destination like magic, giving a silent command to the genie. The car uses green energy. It turns thoughts into dreams and dreams into reality.
3rd position: Partrick Mutune Kamene – Mukuru Art Collective
Concept: Toyota Laser Car is designed to detect viruses around the world and kills them using laser, hence making the world a safer place.
Category: 8-11 years
1st position: Diyan Pratin Shah – Premier Academy
Concept: Toyota Twin Car can be used as one big family car or two separate cars. It attaches and detaches using magnetic force. It has special roller wheels that absorbs bad gas.
2nd position: Dhara Vishaal Shah– Braeburn Kisumu International School
Concept: Toyota Cornace teaches / advises people to use land wisely, farm better using efficient methods to get better harvests and earn more money for education and healthcare for their children.
3rd position: Elizabeth Moraa Mabira – Mukuru Art Collective
Concept: Toyota Love is The Answer Car is designed based on the love heart. The car spreads love around the world to conflicting nations, wild animals, broken families and domestic animals.
Category: Under 8 years
1st position: Priyanka Pratin Shah – Premier Academy
Concept: Toyota Magical Car changes its shape through the entire journey around the world. It works on voice command. It collects water in pod wheels full of flowers. It stays up there, so high. It sends dancing showers for the earth and thirsty flowers keeping all evergreen.
2nd position: Jia Suraj Shah – Oshwal Academy Primary School
Concept: The Mask on Wheels – Holidays have become restricted during COVID-19 times. This Toyota dream car, which is a mask on wheels, offers a safe COVID-19 free holiday at your convenience.
3rd position: Jaiden Alpesh Nathwani – Oshwal Academy Primary School
Concept: Powerful Beast/The Flying Hulk is a superhero flying car. It is hybrid and environment friendly with fast performance and it is fitted with all modern luxuries.