Young Talents in the Spotlight: The 6th Edition of the SBM Amigos Drawing & Painting Competition Celebrates Creativity and Kindness

An image is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. The 6th edition of the SBM Amigos Drawing and Painting Competition is a perfect illustration of this. Organized under the theme ‘Paint Kindness, Erase Bullying’, the competition allowed young artists from the country to express themselves on a rarely discussed topic: school bullying. The drawings and paintings selected by the jury for this new edition, launched in 2025, shed light on this phenomenon through sometimes naive yet remarkably insightful perspectives. The awards ceremony honoring the nine winners of the 2025 edition took place on Thursday, April 9, at the SBM Tower, attended by several guests.

Since 2020, SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd has organized this drawing and painting competition annually to provide young people with a unique space to express their creativity and share their ideas. For the 2025 edition, the theme “Paint Kindness, Erase Bullying” was chosen to raise awareness among youth about the importance of kindness and the fight against school bullying, demonstrating how simple acts of kindness can bring about positive change in the school environment and, by extension, in society.

"SBM Bank has always been actively engaged in promoting art and culture in Mauritius. This drawing and painting competition exemplifies our commitment to providing a platform for young artists to showcase their creativity and share their talent with the public. Each edition addresses a theme that deserves the attention and reflection of young participants, and this year’s theme, ‘Paint Kindness, Erase Bullying’, is particularly relevant,” said Anil Gujjalu, Head of Payments Solutions/Cards at SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd.

The submitted artworks were evaluated by an independent jury, which selected the winners based on creativity, originality, and relevance to the theme. The selection process was challenging due to the high quality of the drawings and paintings. Each piece, however, reflected the talent, sensitivity, and imagination of this generation of budding artists. Notably, three of the winners from this edition had already distinguished themselves in previous years.

The winning artworks from this 6th edition will be displayed in the ‘Amigos Gallery’ section of the SBM Tag app. The award-winning drawings and paintings will also be exhibited in the SBM Tower lobby and published on the bank’s website, giving the general public the opportunity to discover and appreciate these evocative creations.

Below are the names of the winners in each category.

Ages 5 to 8

1st prize: Tiron Thivviyesh Jenesh Jegasuthan (8 years)
2nd prize: Varshini Neemol (8 years)
3rd prize: Shaast Dhairyam Appadu (8 years)

Ages 9 to 12

1st prize: Girishta Aunee (12 years)
2nd prize: Devesh Teeluck (10 years)
3rd prize: Moana Iriyana Kodai (11 years)

Ages 13 to 17

1st prize: Hanshika Yelligadu (17 years)
2nd prize: Sajidah Guffoor (17 years)
3rd prize: Samuel Mathieu Suntah (15 years)