REPORT ON THE BASELINE ORATORS NETWORK(BON) BACK TO SCHOOL DEBATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION HELD FROM THE 25TH – 30TH AUGUST 2024 IN CAMEROON- SOUTHWEST REGION (LIMBE, 1st EDITION)

The competition was initiated on the 25th of August 2024 during the online sessions organized
by BON and they took place from Wednesday 28th August to Friday 30th August 2024. Prior
to the competition, BON organized several online sessions (on Google Meet and Discord) aimed
at drilling participants on Debate and Public Speaking tips to help participants who aimed
at partaking in the competition have knowledge and expertise on the format and
rules/regulations of Debate and Public Speaking Competition.
The competition brought together the participation of 4 teams in the Debate session, with three
teams from Limbe and one team from Yaoundé with the teams each composed of three
members while the Public Speaking sessions saw the attendance of 9 members both from Limbe
and Yaoundé. During the competition, teams were made to debate and publicly speak on both
prompt and Impromptu motions which gave them the means to solidify their expertise and
skill.
Preliminary rounds for the competition were mostly done online (on Google Meet and Discord)
and this not only saw the participation of teams near and wide, but it also brought together
Judges and in some cases people to Ironman from different countries such as Tanzania, Ghana
etc. Before the finals of the competition, there were 6 preliminary rounds for Debate and 1 for the Public
Speaking including a social media engagement challenge.
The BON Back to School competition was greatly aided by the partnership they had with
Knowledge Center as they secured a class hall for the event. The finals took place
at National Comprehensive High School Limbe with two teams constituted for the finals
(Limbe Team 1 and Limbe Team 2) and the Public Speaking finals between 6 participants both
from Limbe and Yaoundé. The finals displayed the fiercest and first physical debate
battle between the finalists and was a marvel of display for the spectators who sat down for
such an amazing event. The debate final concluded with Team 1 winning the competition
(Team Limbe 1 which members comprised Mark Celeste, Tangwa Loveline Yungan, and Ogechi Dianalyn Ndunxereuba Imoh) while Hitot Emmanuell concluded the Public
Speaking finals as its winner.