PURPOSE/BACKGROUND
The project “Community Sensitization and Civic Education Campaign for Central Equatoria State” has enabled partners such as Talent Initiative for Development (TIDE), Morobo Development Association (MoDA) and Raise Women Hope (RWH) to organize a one-day community sensitization debate between St. Charles Lwanga Primary School and Ombaci Keliko Primary school in Gulumbi Payam, Morobo county, a debate that drew a total of 57 registered participants and staff due to the limited size of the hall, and approximately 40 unregistered learners and school staff who attended the debate through the door and windows.
The debate preparations started on 10th February 2025, although preliminary meetings between the County Education Department and the partners occurred in the last week of January 2025. Between 10th and 11th February, the organizing committee was formed to steer the debate. The organizing committee comprised of leadership of the County Education Department-CED-Morobo County, Leadership of Kanyara Secondary School, leadership of Ombaci Keliko and St. Charles Lwanga Primary Schools respectively, guided by the neutral team of QIP partners in Morobo County-TIDE, RWH and MoDA. A panel of jury was also constituted, which comprised of chairperson, secretary, timekeeper and 2 judges (1 from each of the competing schools).
The headteacher of Kanyara Secondary school was made the chief judge, since Kanyara did not participate and became neutral. The debate was initially planned for secondary schools, but the absence of another secondary school other than Kanyara itself necessitated the shift to upper primary school competition, with permission of the CED and the leadership of CESCSN. Kanyara Secondary school only had less than 30 students in total during the time, according to the school headteacher, due to lack of payment of teachers, which led them desert the school. Other factors such as low completion rate of primary school leavers to join secondary education among others were also cited. The debate was officially opened and closed by the county Education Director Madam Josephine Tiko, who confessed it is first of its kind since the crisis worsened in 2016 that such an event was organized with learners. Despite the infrastructural challenge in Ombaci Keliko Primary school, the debate was highly competitive as St. Charles Lwanga only won by a 2-point difference; that is 198:196 for St. Charles and Ombaci Keliko respectively. The event ended peacefully with losers and winners shaking hands.
