Pan-African Inter-School Debate on Cancer 2025
Pink Africa Foundation marked World Cancer Day 2025 with a unique Pan-African Inter-School Debate on Cancer, bringing together high school students from across Africa to engage in critical discussions on cancer awareness and advocacy.
Designed to educate and empower the next generation of cancer advocates, the debate followed the Oxford-style format, featuring two schools each from The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. The virtual event, hosted on Zoom, spanned nine hours, with each country allotted 60 to 90 minutes. The debate commenced in Kenya with their national anthem and debates, before shifting focus to Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and The Gambia.
A distinguished panel of judges and moderators from across Africa and beyond—including Benin Republic, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the United States—ensured a high standard of discourse.
The event saw remarkable engagement, with 958 registered participants joining online and an estimated 36,000 indirect beneficiaries.
The winning schools were State House Girls High School, Nairobi (Kenya), Maranatha Christian High, Harare (Zimbabwe), Emeraldfield Schools, Calabar (Nigeria), Our Lady of Mercy Senior High School, Tema (Ghana), Hope Haven Christian School, Kigali (Rwanda), and Mingdaw Upper School, Banjul (The Gambia).
The next round of debates will see countries compete against each other in knockout rounds, culminating in a grand finale in October 2025 during the Go Pink Africa Day events organized by Pink Africa Foundation.
Pink Africa Foundation is a member of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), joining the global fight against cancer.
Common Myths About Breast Cancer (GPD24 Series)
To raise awareness about cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment among young people. By engaging students in critical discussions, the debates foster research, public speaking skills and youth advocacy for better healthcare. This initiative also strengthens Pan-African collaboration, inspiring future leaders in medicine and public health to drive positive change in the fight against cancer.
KENYA: State House Girls High School, Nairobi,
ZIMBABWE: Maranatha Christian High, Harare,
NIGERIA: Emeraldfield Schools, Calabar,
GHANA: Our Lady of Mercy Senior High School, Tema,
RWANDA: Hope Haven Christian School, Kigali, and
THE GAMBIA: Mingdaw Upper School, Banjul
Panel of Judges
Victor Bisong has over 10 years debating and training debaters and public speakers. He has been Chief Debate Judge in All Nigerian Universities Debate, and finalist judge at the Pan African Debate Tournament.
Adjust Soda is a medical student in Zambia and multiple debate award winner with a strong passion for helping others excel in debating and public speaking.
Dr. Fre’Etta Brooks is a medical physicist with University of Washington Medical Center, USA with a focus on Global Oncology – working to significantly increase the number of institutions that collaborate on a global scale.
Godswill Isek is an accountant. He represented the University of Calabar, Nigeria at 15 debate and public speaking competitions, winning Best University Public Speaker Nigeria in 2018.
Henry Opoku is Board Member of GNAT Cancer Foundation, Ghana and District GNAT Chairman – Wenchi. He is a tutor at Koase STEM Senior High and holds a Masters in Admin & Leadership.
Keza Ketsia is the Program Coordinator of iDebate Rwanda. She’s a public speaking coach, debate coach and adjudicator, business mentor, and Founder of the Money Makeover Challenge
Kennedy Otieno has been a judge and a trainer for African Debate Academy, Strathmore Debate Society, The Debate Circle and at the Oxford-Cambridge Tournaments for High School Learners.
Mesganaw Alemu is an English teacher in Addis Ababa, serving for 17 years in various governmental and private schools in Ethiopia.
Odu Ebam-Paul started debating in my second year in university. She has won local and interNational debate laurels and now mentors high school students in the art of debate and public speaking
Williams Robert Oju is an entrepreneur at NetServe, with an advanced level of experience in Oxford-style debating.
Wubalem Teklemichael has 23 years’ experience teaching English in schools. She has participated in several Trainings for Trainers (ToT) - teaching the strategies of English language. She is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
MODERATORS AND PLANNING TEAM
- Paolo Ogbeche – Nigeria
- Precious Jandura - Zimbabwe
- Abigail Quaye - Ghana
- Rehema Ramadhan - Tanzania
- Kudzai Chidamba - Rwanda
- Denise Mbra - Uganda
- Aliyeta Nkandu – Zambia
- Sena Dosu – Benin Republic
- Miracle Ihejimba - Rwanda
- Victor Ekpo – Nigeria
In the News from Go Pink Day 24
- Go Pink Day 24 (GPD24) Videos Playlist: WATCH
- Business Day: Why survival rate of breast cancer in Nigeria is still low: READ
- Voice of Nigeria (VON): Breast cancer: Foundation says survival rate in Nigeria still low: READ
- Supreme News: Breast cancer: Foundation says survival rate in Nigeria still low: READ
- Converseer: Breast cancer: Survival rate in Nigeria still below 50%, says Foundation: READ
- CRBC TV: News Report on Calabar Go Pink Day 24: WATCH
- ACT Foundation: Spotlight on Pink Africa Foundation - 2024 Grantee for Cervical Cancer Project: READ ON LINKEDIN
- Union for International Cancer Control (UICC): Go Pink Day 24: READ
- Oncodaily: End HPV Vaccine Hesitancy Project by Pink Africa Foundation: READ
- Tribune Online: Foundation provides free cancer screening, treatment for Cross River residents: READ