Sabiha Speaks Out!
Website news story, November 2017
Everyone at Eden Girls’ School is incredibly proud of Year 10 pupil Sabiha Makda who came second in this year’s regional final of the Jack Petchey Foundation Speak Out challenge.
This annual public speaking competition, delivered by the Speakers Trust, provides coaching and support to young people in Year 10. Over 500 children from schools across Waltham Forest took part in this year’s competition and the regional final, which saw 17 young people compete against one another, took place on Wednesday 22 November.
Abdelraouf Dahmane from Leytonstone School was crowed regional champion, and Sabiha, who spoke about the loss of her mother less than two years ago, took second place.
Sabiha delivered her moving speech, entitled ‘Grief: A Survivor’s Journey’, with great maturity and strength. She talked about how she had coped with her mother’s death from cancer and its impact on her relationship with her father.
Sabiha said, “I felt like grief is something not being talked about enough in our society and that’s why I wanted to focus on it. I know from experience there are good things that can come out of losing someone close to you – I bonded with my father after my mother’s death.”
The Mayor of Waltham Forest, Councillor Yemi Osho, awarded the Speak Out Challenge prizes. Councillor Osho said “There were some incredible performances which were inspiring and really made me think about what young people are capable of achieving today.”
The Speak Out Challenge is the world’s largest youth speaking event in the world, with over 19,000 students in London and Essex taking part. It is funded by the Jack Petchey Foundation and designed and delivered by Speakers Trust, the UK’s leading public speaking charity.
Added By: Aisha Ayub | Date Added: 24th Nov 2017 | Posted In: Good News Stories