And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
Music and storytelling have always connected people. Throughout human history, in all cultures and languages, people have made melodies with their voices and a wide variety of instruments. Oftentimes music has been combined with words, making beautiful songs or sweeping poetic or oral narratives to creatively express the joys and sorrows of the human experience.
At eduKenya’s Mawewa School, we continually strive to provide our students with opportunities to grow in their musical abilities and creative expression, as we seek to provide a holistic education that develops the whole person. As we started our 2023 school year, our teachers began to work with our students to prepare them for the Kenya Drama Festivals.
After a lot of practice and preparation, our students participated in the county drama competitions, making performances in Oral Narrative, Solo Verse, Choral Verse, and Cultural Dance. Though these competitions can be nerve-racking for students and teachers alike, as months of hard work are presented before a panel of judges, they also provide numerous opportunities for our students to strengthen their musical, verbal, and oral skills through public speaking and creative presentations, while also having fun interacting with students from other schools in our county.
We are thankful to God that all our students performed very well at this first stage of competition, with Choral Verse (upper primary) placing 5th out of 16, Choral Verse (lower primary) placing 5th out of 12, our Solo Verse student, Fiona Apiyo, placed 4th out of 17 students, our Oral Narrative student, Daisy Amisi, placed 1st out of 10 and our Cultural Dance students placed 1st out of 20. Our first-placed students in the Oral Narrative and Cultural Dance will be proceeding to the sub-regional level of competition.
Your prayerful investments continue to provide the children of Mathare with a robust holistic education that prepares them for life. Thank you for your prayers and support for our students as we equip the next generation to serve God through using all their academic, creative, technical, and physical gifts and talents for His glory.