Students participating in this year’s Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF), showcased not only their creative talents but also demonstrated understanding of good financial discipline. From plays to modern dances, the students showcased ideas around managing debts, establishing successful businesses and growing wealth.
Kerugoya Boys, a high school from Central Kenya, presented The Game Changer, a modern dance depicting a student whose stolen pocket money leads to the introduction of prepaid debit cards in a school, resolving theft and privacy issues.
“The student brags to the rest of the students that he has more money, and at night, the money is stolen by one of his colleagues. The teacher comes in to resolve the issue by reviewing CCTV footage; this later leads to the introduction of debits cards to reduce the risks associated with handling cash,” the script says.
This innovative solution highlights the potential of technology in addressing everyday social and financial challenges.
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Several primary school performances also focused on financial literacy: Kericho Primary’s singing game School Money, urging parents to adopt advanced saving models like banks rather than keeping money under the mattress. Turesia Mixed presented Jeruto, a cultural dance emphasizing that “saving is a culture that needs to be inculcated at an early stage.” Jeruto steals her mother’s money from under the mattress but later learns about saving money in school, leading her mother to open a junior saving account.
Other than saving, the students also addressed themes like learning new skills. Vihiga High presented The Final Squad, a play emphasizing that young people are the foundation and drivers of national, regional, and global prosperity. It encourages youth to avoid pitfalls and embrace sports science for income generation.
Sameta High presented Torments of Hade, a mime (non-verbal theatrical performance) about a young boy abandoned and hungry who steals mangoes from a neighbour’s farm. After being caught and punished, the young boy encounters a kind stranger who takes him to school, where he learns computer skills that enable him to earn money online. This performance showcases resilience, redemption, and the power of education.
Through a cultural dance titled Nyar Uroma, Ogande Girls presented Nyar Uyoma,” a cultural dance about a woman who seeks to provide for her family and educate her daughter amid economic uncertainty. She finds herself in trouble with the county council authority and an Indian vendor, but the dance ultimately shows her overcoming these challenges.
“The performances aligned with the festival’s theme, “Liberating Technology to Nurture Talent While Inculcating Value for Social Prosperity,” a point highlighted by KNDFF Executive Secretary James Indimuli, who lauded the students and emphasized the critical role of technology in generating income. “We are looking at technology as enabling production and innovation,” he said, emphasizing that it’s crucial to “bring back our national values and inculcate them in our young people as they use it to advance economically and socially.”
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The financial themed pieces in this year’s Kenya National Drama and Film Festival were sponsored by Equity Bank with the objective of inculcating financial literacy among the young learners. Head of Education Equity Bank Peter Ndoro said, “We partnered with the Ministry of Education to enable students showcase their skills, monetize their talents and create enterprises. In future, we can reap as nation as our economy will grow from the monetised talents.”
Indimuli, while echoing the same, urged for increased collaboration to cultivate young talent, emphasizing the need to provide access to platforms like the Kenya Cultural Center and National Theatre, thereby creating opportunities for these talents to commercialise their skills beyond the festival and school terms.
“With CBC, ladies and gentlemen, uh performing arts, music, dance, drama, film are learning areas. They are no longer extracurricular activities. Some children will take the talent pathway and have careers out of performing on stage, out of film,” he said.
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