By Alhaji Haruna Sani
In their quest to promoting girl’s education and women empowerment, Chozen Generation-Sierra Leone has on April 26 launched their second National Girls Championship Debate.
The event was launched at the Africell American Corner on Bathurst Street on the theme: Break the Bias-creating a generation of women that speak up.
The maiden event was launched six years ago and was limited to Freetown but this year’s event will be held at national level and over thirty secondary schools will be participating.
In his welcome remark, Cecil Charles Thompson noted that it was worthwhile to have a launch of another event that is not for boys or everyone, but for girls. He hailed Chozen Generation for leading the way in achieving such a remarkable event.
Giving an overview of the championship debate Tracy Jac-Dury, Deputy Coms Director and Project Lead, Chozen Generation said five years ago, she was one of the debaters- very nervous by then “and five years down the line, I am here as one of the project,” she said, adding that the debate will be done at national level and will be steered on the parliamentary system.
She said they will be targeting 32 schools in all, maintaining that if more schools opted to take part in the debate they will consider creating space for them.
Jac-Dury informed the gathering that the debate is to help young girls to fully unleash their potential, relating that the debate is scheduled to start in second week May and ends first week in June.
She said the quality debate will cover different topics around women empowerment and it will attract many prizes including cash, computers.
In her keynote message, Esq Linda Bull informed the young girls that to bridge the gaps and break the bias, they need to believe in their selves by simply challenging themselves that yes they can represent their schools, excel in the debate and win it.
“To empower yourselves, you have to be deliberate in all that you do, ignite the power in you, do not compromise your standard. Push harder to more research and ignore all distractors to achieve your dream,” she urged the young girls.
She implores the young girls to help each other as women, stating that women have the power; therefore, they should support each other so that the world can be a better place.
The event was officially launched by Joel Abdulai Kallon, who speaks on the need of having a generation of women that speak up. Harry Henry Kargbo, National Coordinator of Chozen Generation gave the closing courtesies.
