Sixteen year old Pearl Esinam Buadu of Chemu Senior High School has emerged the winner of The Young Debaters 2024 held over the weekend. She emerged winner out of 7 national finalists who were all vying for the same title. The finalists, from Chemu SHS and Accra High Schools were made up of 6 females and 1 male.
The Young Debaters competition is a public speaking programme, targeted at secondary school students in Ghana. Unlike a debating competition with a given theme, on which Speakers must choose to speak for or against, The Young Debaters allows students to come up with their own topic based on a given theme.
This year’s competition’s theme was: A great Leader can change the world in an instant. Pearl Buadu’s topic was ‘Embers of Hope’, which she delivered passionately, and answered questions convincingly from the judges to emerge winner.
Two of the special guests present , Joyce Bawah Mogtari – Special Aide to Former President John Mahama, and Kate Addo – Head of Public Affairs, Parliament of Ghana both spoke to the audience, mainly comprising of students, about the need to groom their public speaking skills now, regardless of their intended field of endeavor. Both Ms. Mogtari & Ms. Addo donated cash rewards to all finalists, as they both were taken in by the Finalists’ performance in general.
Salomé Dzakpasu, Programmes Manager at Young Educators Foundation, organisers of The Young Debaters, shared that, “this programme provides an opportunity for our Ghanaian students to think outside the box and be assertive, in a world where these two traits are needed to succeed at almost anything. We hope that as secondary schools return to their normal September – August calendar, more of them will take advantage of this co-curricular programme [The Young Debaters] for the benefit of the students.”
1st and 2nd runners-up, Pearl Amago and Martha Amoah of Chemu SHS and Accra High respectively received Culturous Cultural Exchange, AFS Intercultural Exchange Programmes and engraved plaques.
For her reward, Pearl Esinam Buadu, The Young Debaters 2024 winner, will travel to London, UK for a week to represent Ghana in the International Public Speaking Competition (IPSC) in May this year. She also received £200 spending money, a library of books, a certificate of Participation, a medal and an engraved crystal plaque.
The Young Debaters was supported by the British High Commission in Ghana, The British Council, Ghana AFS InterCultural Exchange Programme, BFT and JOY 99.7 FM.
