VALE ORGANISES AN INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE PUBLIC SPEAKING IN MANJUNG

Vale, one of the world’s leading mining companies, organised the first-ever ‘Piala Vale’ public speaking competition for the students of Manjung in collaboration with the Manjung District Education Office.

Held at the Marina Island Resort, the competition saw a total of 17 participants from primary and secondary schools throughout the Manjung district participating in a full-day program filled with various oratory challenges designed around the theme of ‘Respecting the Planet, Together’. Apart from promoting discourses on topics related to sustainability, ‘Piala Vale’ was also conceptualised as a platform to develop public speaking skills amongst the youth in Manjung within a setting that is nurturing, engaging and inclusive.

Speaking on the importance of public speaking as a means of youth empowerment in Manjung, Leonardo Paiva, CEO of Vale in Malaysia said, “The ‘Piala Vale’ initiative provides a platform for the youth to share their aspiration for a better tomorrow within a safe and nurturing environment. The program’s intent is also aligned with our commitment to foster an inclusive and sustainable community development in Manjung through educational initiatives and support”.

“So far this year, our educational initiatives have benefitted close to 500 students. Apart from Piala Vale, we launched a free tuition initiative early this year at the Vale Eco Centre (VEC) for children from low income families. The initiative, on top of our regular partnerships with local institutions of neurodiverse learning, has allowed us to support local youth to develop them in a way that is holistic and intersectional,” Paiva added.

The ‘Piala Vale’ competition was divided into two categories, the Club Prodigy (10-12 year olds) and the Cheetah Youth Orator (13-15 year olds). The theme this year was focused on sustainability and environmental protection. The winners walked away with Apple Air Pods and Samsung Tablets.

Saarvesh a/l Subbiah from S.K. Methodist ACS Sitiawan topped the Club Prodigy category while Poorvitha a/p Puvaneswaran from S.M.K Convent Sitiawan took the first place for the Cheetah Youth Orator category.

“I feel very happy and proud to have won this competition and am glad that all my hard work and sleepless nights paid off. I am also happy that Vale organised this competition and I hope to participate again in the future,” said Saarvesh.

“I was really nervous at the beginning as this is the first time I am participating in a physical competition in two years. Winning the category was really unexpected and I am very happy. I hope Vale organises more competitions like this in the future,” said Poorvitha.

The event was also attended and officiated by .En. Shamsul Ridzuan Bin Idris, Manjung District Education Office.

Piala Vale is among the strategic initiatives rolled out by Vale this year to benefit the youth of Manjung. So far, the company has invested over MYR84,000 on various educational projects in Manjung, benefitting close to 500 local youth.