HUYE-BASED Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare (GSOB) Indatwa n’Inkesha has emerged the winners of this year’s inter-schools National Young Entrepreneur’s Debate Championships in the Southern Province.
The school out-competed Nyanza’s College Christ Roi, which emerged second and Groupe Scolaire Kigeme from Nyamagabe District.
The debate, held on Saturday and organised by Rwanda Inspiration Back Up, aims at equipping students with debating skills while at the same time giving them an opportunity to contribute ideas towards building the country.
The debate was held under the theme: “Equipping the youth with Technical and Vocational skills can be the perfect path towards self-reliance.”
After winning the competition, GSOB will compete with the winners from other provinces and City of Kigali in a national competition due to be held in Kigali later this month.
Other schools which have already secured their places to compete at the national level include Nyagatare Secondary School, which emerged the winner in the Eastern Province and second placed Groupe Scolaire St Aloys from Rwamagana. In the Northern Province, ESIR Musanze won the first place while Ecole Secondaire Kiyanza emerged second.
The debate moves to the Western Province on Wednesday while Kigali-based schools will battle it out on Saturday.
This debate is an opportunity for students to meet leaders and inspiring entrepreneurs, according to Ishimwe Dieudonne, the Managing Director of Rwanda Inspiration Back-Up.
It is the second time that the National Young Entrepreneur’s Debate Championships are organised.
“It is clear that students have improved their debating skills since the inaugural competition last year. They are giving strong ideas in support of their argument than the last time,” Ishimwe said.
“We hope these debates are not only helping them to improve debating skills but also boost their knowledge in various domains.”
The National Young Entrepreneur’s Debate Championships 2013 is organised in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth and ICT, Imbuto Foundation, the Ministry of Education, the Rwanda Development Boar,d and the Rwanda Governance Board, among others.
By Jean Pierre Bucyensenge,The New Times