Harare — Zimbabwe continues scoring high on the international scene following the success of 12-year-old Rufaro Duri of Hartmann House -- a primary school at Harare's St George's College -- who won a prestigious United Nations Children's Art Competition.

Duri, who flew to New York to receive his award on Wednesday, was the only winner from Africa and one of six from about 12 000 children drawn from 124 countries across the globe.

Duri's feat comes barely two months after three Zimbabwean students - Diana Kawenda and Tinotenda Muzeza of Mabelreign Girls High School, and Gerald Chibga of Kuwadzana 2 High School - did the country proud when they won the Sadc secondary schools essay competition this year. Duri, who has been painting since kindergarten, won with his drawing titled All the Things that Would End Poverty, which was in line with the UN's 20th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty observed around the world on October 16 and 17.

He received his award at a ceremony held on the North Lawn at the UN Headquarters. As part of the awards, Duri will have his picture turned into a stamp for the UN. Duri's father, who accompanied him to New York, is the medical superintendent at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital. The event at the UN Headquarters was part of the global Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty campaign that required people across the world to physically and symbolically stand up against poverty within 24 hours.

The anti-poverty drive is organised by the Millennium Campaign, an inter-agency initiative of the UN, in collaboration with a range of non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups and social movements, including the Global Call to Action Against Poverty and Guinness World Records.