Mentoring sessions are pivotal in preparing future leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge for success. Among these sessions, debate style mentoring stands out as a powerful tool, providing youth with essential skills and perspectives crucial for their roles as leaders and active citizens. 

Recently, a debate session delved into the topic "Effect of drug abuse on the youth: Is it the fault of the government?" Marian and the girls' team argued that the government is not to blame for the effects of drug abuse on the youth. 

Hello, I’m Marian, a beneficiary of Develop Africa. For today’s mentoring session, I’m one of the debaters and I am very happy to partake in this competition. I’m here to debate this wonderful topic, which says “The effect of drug abuse on the youth, is it the fault of the government? 

You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes, that's my first statement, I want you guys to pay attention to this statement. Another statement is “When you blame and criticize others, you are avoiding some amount of truth about yourself” Another wise one is “Taking total responsibility of everything in your life is one of the most empowering decisions you can make”.  

It was a very big pleasure to be part of this competition and I liked it because it helped me to become a very good speaker and also taught me that I should not be scared of the crowd. Thank you so much Develop Africa donors.  Thank you so much for giving me that opportunity, I really appreciate you.  

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all donors whose contributions make these impactful mentoring sessions possible. Your ongoing support plays a significant role in shaping a brighter future for girls in Sierra Leone.