Students participating in this year’s
Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF), showcased not only their
creative talents but also demonstrated their 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 High School , 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 scriptwriter explained:
"The student bragged 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 debit cards to reduce the
risks associated with handling cash."
This innovative solution highlights
the potential of technology in addressing everyday social and financial
challenges.
Several primary school performances
also focused on financial literacy, such as 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 School 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 School 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.”
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 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
monetized 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 commercialize
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
