By : Brenda Achen

Charity College Secondary School has emerged the overall winner of the 2026 West Nile Inter-School Debate Competition, outperforming six other participating schools in a contest designed to enhance students’ understanding of environmental conservation, climate action, and related policies.

The debate competition was organized by the non-governmental organization Supporting Primary Education and Community Empowerment (SPACE) in partnership with RICE West Nile and the Madi Debate Society (MDS) under the theme, “Strengthening Environmental Accountability and Climate Action in West Nile.”

Lornah Kwiyucwiny of Charity College Secondary School was named the overall Best Speaker. She encouraged fellow students to actively participate in debate and other educational platforms, noting that such opportunities not only deepen their understanding of critical issues like climate change but also build confidence and strengthen public speaking skills.

Ivan Opio was ranked the second-best speaker with 74.6 points, while Daphine Maditrwoth secured the third position with 72.3 points.

Speaking during the event, Irene Apio, Project Officer at SPACE, emphasized the importance of involving young people in environmental discussions. She said the debate competition was intended to increase youth awareness of environmental protection, promote environmental rights, and encourage climate change mitigation through informed dialogue and advocacy.

Apio also noted that several invited schools, including Warr Girls Secondary School, Aluka Secondary School, and Jangokoro Secondary School, did not participate in the competition. She encouraged the schools to take advantage of future opportunities, saying such engagements promote peer-to-peer learning and empower students to become environmental ambassadors within their communities.