Why Thy Speech Master Matters

Thy Speech Master connects public speaking with research, youth leadership and tobacco control awareness. Its value reaches beyond the competition when participants learn to use their voices responsibly.

Empowering Youth Voices for a Healthier Zambia

Across Zambia and around the world, young people continue to face growing exposure to tobacco and nicotine products. While many see tobacco control as a public health issue, it is equally an issue of youth development, education, economic well-being, and the future of communities. It is against this background that Thy Speech Master Season 1 youth speech competition ran to empower youths to become informed voices for healthier lifestyles and stronger public awareness on tobacco control.

The initiative brought together over 40 students and youths from different backgrounds across Zambia. Through evidence-based public speaking, multimedia engagement, and mentorship, participants developed speeches addressing tobacco control, addiction prevention, public health governance, and youth well-being. Young people were central to this initiative because they represented the present and future leadership of Zambia. They were among the most targeted audiences for nicotine and tobacco products, yet they are also among the most powerful advocates for positive behavioural change.

Through Thy Speech Master, youths were encouraged to move beyond opinion and develop speeches grounded in research, facts, and credible evidence. They learnt to communicate effectively, think critically, and contribute constructively to public dialogue. A youth speaking initiative asks participants to do something demanding: understand a complicated issue well enough to explain it to people whose experiences may differ from their own. In tobacco control, that involves more than repeating a warning about smoking. A speaker has to consider the choices of a young person, the pressures within a household and the responsibilities of institutions that shape what is sold, promoted and accepted in public spaces.

The research process is part of the learning. Participants need to distinguish a source from a claim that merely sounds authoritative. They must consider whether information is recent, whether a statistic describes Zambia or another setting, and whether a conclusion follows from the evidence presented. These are useful civic habits. They matter when a person encounters a health message online, listens to a political promise or is asked to support a community decision.

Public speaking also develops the ability to disagree constructively. Two speakers may agree that young people should be protected while proposing different approaches to education or enforcement. A worthwhile programme gives them a way to examine those differences without treating disagreement as disrespect. Listening, responding to an argument and acknowledging a limitation make public discussion stronger. The objective should be an informed voice rather than a louder version of an untested opinion.

The next step after a competition should involve opportunities to use what was learned. Schools and community organisations could invite participants to facilitate discussions, contribute to awareness materials or help peers examine unreliable claims. Such opportunities need guidance and an appropriate scope. Young advocates should not be expected to replace qualified health workers, but they can help make important questions easier to discuss and encourage people to seek reliable information.

The value of Thy Speech Master can therefore be considered beyond the final rankings. It includes whether participants became more careful researchers, more confident communicators and more responsible members of their communities. Continued mentorship would help preserve those gains. When a programme treats young people as capable partners in public dialogue, it gives them a chance to practise leadership through the quality of their preparation and the usefulness of what they share.

The programme aligned with the 2026 World No Tobacco Day theme, "Unmasking the Appeal, Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction," which sought to expose the tactics used to make harmful products appear attractive to young people. Thy Speech Master is a competition, a great leadership development platform, a public awareness campaign, and an opportunity for young people to use their voices to promote healthier communities and a stronger nation.