English teacher Jonas Natangwe Nekomba regards it as paramount that people become rational thinkers and push conversational agendas to impact society.
He said debate and public speaking help with rational thinking, and shape many learners and students’ intellectual abilities although a good number undermine this skill.
“Many of the prominent people in the world are/were debaters. Debate and public speaking help with getting opportunities in corporate offices and to be recognised.
“If one wants to grow personally, they should join any debate or public speaking academy that trains them to be well exposed and to be well informed about current happenings,” Nekomba told Youth Corner.
Nekomba teaches at Hans Daniel Namuhuja secondary school in Oniipa, Oshikoto region, a job he got after graduating from Unam with an honour’s degree in education in 2019 majoring in English and Oshiwambo.
Still a youth himself at age 24, Nekomba is passionate about teaching his peers the ability to engage in public discourse and development.
He serves at different leadership levels at his workplace of which debate and public speaking are included. He founded the Oshikoto Debate Association, JN public speaking and debate training academy, Champions tutorial college, and established debate clubs at different schools.
A debater for over eight years, Nekomba has participated in competitions at national high school. He became a member of the Unam Debate Society in his first year. From there on, he has been fully engaged in debate and public speaking and has coached learners at various schools across Namibia, including St. George’s college, Lingua college, Marengo secondary school, Oshigambo high school. He also won best debate judge nationally in 2018.
His eyes light up when discussing the importance of debate and public speaking, saying it helps with better reasoning skills, boost people’s confidence and provides good exposure.
Nekomba is excited that regions nowadays are motivated to host debate and public speaking competitions to engage learners in a world where they can discuss and reason on pertinent issues within society.
“What is required is for debaters to be diverse and versatile with knowledge of concepts and ideas, and burning topics in communities and outside,” he advised.
Nekomba thus urged schools, individuals or corporates to give their trainees opportunities to advance themselves.
“As far as learners are concerned, schools are the epitome of change, as they hold a fundamental responsibility to better their learners. It is paramount that people start exercising these sports to become rational thinkers who would impact the society and push conversational agendas,” he insisted.
Nekomba is based in Ondangwa and can be reached on: jonasnekomba@gmail.com