National climate change debate kicks off at Kololo SSS

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 2024 EDITION OF GREEN SCHOOLS INITIATIVE 
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The Monday morning skies in Uganda's capital Kampala may been grey but a blended mood of exuberance, eagerness and confidence was palpable at Kololo Senior Secondary School as the National Climate Change Debate Championship got under way.

With schools across the country on a break for second term holidays, Kololo SSS is hosting the preliminary round of the schools debating contest as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals — all across today and Tuesday.

Attention will then shift to Makerere University's main campus, where the grand finale will take place at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility on Wednesday.

This debating contest is one of the two tracks of the Green Schools Initiative, a project launched in Ugandan schools to encourage young minds to act on climate change through adaptation or mitigation solutions.

The Green Schools Initiative is in its second year of implementation by Vision Group in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and funding by the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda.

The theme remains as last year's: Innovations that work.

This year, the eventual winning school will emerge from an elite cast of 30 schools — each being represented by six debaters — that will tackle issues related to climate change.

Stage after stage, the numbers will get whittled down to the eventual finalists, who will then battle for the title that was won at the inaugural championship last year by Sacred Heart Secondary School, Mushanga from Sheema district in Uganda's west.

The best performing debating schools will walk away with cash prizes, as will the schools with the most innovative climate action projects.

At the host school (Kololo SSS), the organizers are all ready to set the ball in motion and the smartly-dressed eager debaters are exuding confidence with youthful ebullience.

Each one of the 30 schools featuring at this national championship made the cut by emerging among the top three performers in their respective regions during the regional qualifiers in June.

'Level of competition up'

"It has been very competitive," said Green Schools Initiative project co-ordinator Sidney Miria of the level of debating this year.

"Compared to last year, we have seen improvement in the level and quality of debate as well as interest from the learners.

"Climate change is the most urgent issue that we have as a country and as the world. Every one of us has got a role to play," added Miria, who also oversees special projects at New Vision.

 WATCH   'The level of competition is up'

'You are all winners'

John Eremu is the Green Schools Initiative project manager and the New Vision Editor.

Throughout the regional qualifiers, he repeatedly emphasized that whatever the debate results, every participating school was already a winner for being a part of a noble cause.

"Although we can only select three top teams for the nationals, you all are winners," he said.

Meanwhile, below is a breakdown of the outcome of the regional debate qualifiers, including the schools that qualified for the national championship as well as the best individual debaters in the ten regions covered:
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Qualified ✔

 KARAMOJA 

📍 Host: Moroto High School

Top three:

▪️ Lolachat Seed Secondary School (champion)
▪️ Abim Secondary School
▪️ Napak Secondary School

Best female debater: Patience Namujju Kakayi (Lolachat SSS)
Best male debater: Evaristo Ogwang (Abim SS)

 WEST NILE 

📍 Host: Mvara Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Arua Public Secondary School (champion)
▪️ Mvara Secondary School
▪️ Bishop Angelo Talantino Ediofe

Best female debater: Fortunate Habibu Hidaya
Best male debater: Rout Banang Char

 TESO 

📍 Host: Teso College Aloet

Top three:

▪️ Soroti Secondary School (champion)
▪️ Teso College Aloet
▪️ St Elizabeth Girls Secondary

Best female debater: Doreen Anuo (Soroti SS)
Best male debater: Collins Engoru (Soroti SS)

 NORTHERN 

📍 Host: Lira Town College

Top three:

▪️ Comboni College (champion)
▪️ Lango College
▪️ Y.Y Okot Memorial Secondary School

Best female debater: Among Genevieve (Y.Y Okot Memorial SS)
Best male debater: Nathaniel Odong (Lango College)

 BUGISU/BUKEDI 

📍 Host: Mbale Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Nabumali High School (champion)
▪️ Tororo Girls' School
▪️ Sebei College Tegeres

Best female debater: Philomina Akiteng (Tororo GS)
Best male debater: Jabeth Chemutai (Sebei College)

 BUSOGA 

📍 Host: Jinja College

Top three:

▪️ Holy Cross Lake View SS (champion)
▪️ Iganga Secondary School
▪️ Busoga College Mwiri

Best female debater: Mercy Gukunda (Iganga Secondary School)
Best male debater: Mesach Cherop (Busoga College Mwiri)

 MIDWESTERN 

📍 Host: Kyebambe Girls' Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Nyakasura School (champion)
▪️ St Leo's College Kyegobe
▪️ Kabalega Secondary School

Best female debater: Harmony Gift Kemigisa
Best male debater: Allan Ajunaa

 WESTERN 

📍 Host: Kibubura Girls' Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Ntare School (champion)
▪️ Maryhill High School
▪️ Kigezi High School

Best female debater: Sheenah Ainembabazi
Best male debater: Arnold Musiime

 CENTRAL 

📍 Host: Kololo Senior Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Kako Senior Secondary School (champion)
▪️ Seroma Christian High School
▪️ Seeta High School

Best female debater: Elizabeth Sasha Okuku
Best male debater: Jessy Mboizi

 KAMPALA METROPOLITAN 

📍 Host: Kololo Senior Secondary School

Top three:

▪️ Mengo Senior School (champion)
▪️ Nabisunsa Girls Secondary School
▪️ Kitante Hill School

Best female debater: Hermon Asmerom (Mengo SS)
Best male debater: Arnold Asiimwe (Mengo SS)
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📝  Related articles

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▪️  'Partnerships are key in fighting climate change'
▪️  Debates 'inspire furture generations to conserve environment'
▪️  'School debates should be a continuous process'