Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) has partnered with Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF) to roll out Cinema Mashinani program across the country to help identify and nurture new talents.
KFCB Corporate Communications Manager, Nelly Muluka, said plans to kick off the project are at an advanced stage.
“We are working with the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF) right from early childhood to the universities to support initiatives that empower them towards identifying and nurturing their talents,” divulged Muluka.
Speaking to the press during Kisumu Children Festival (KICHFEST), Ms Muluka lauded the program adding that it was good to have children engaged in constructive work such as talent identification and development.
“We are happy to be here, to witness this event that involves and helps children grow holistically,” declared Muluka.
She further lauded the theme chosen by the KICHFEST organizers, adding that a good choice of theme was key as per current times and children were supposed to be protected and made aware of societal issues and how to handle them. KICHFEST theme for 2022 is ‘Children and Mental Health’.
“It has dwelled much on protection of our children, ensuring they are enlightened about mental illness issues helps a lot since we have seen even children nowadays committing suicide. I want to believe the training was beneficial and impactful,” noted Muluka.
She noted that when children are kept positively busy, then they do not become idle and start engaging in immoral behavior but rather nurture their aptitudes that may become their future sources of livelihood.
“When children are left idle, they get exposed to anything and everything but when they are brought together in such activities and events, they are nurtured to be morally upright, they can identify their niche and grow. Children are what they consume,” stated the Communications Manager.
She expressed optimism that KFCB and talent development organizations will continue working together and enhance peer conversation for clean content production enabling children to have something tangible besides education.
“We are happy and hope we will continue working together to identify and nurture talents and use the same children for peer to peer and promote clean content for children and identify solutions for their challenges through artwork,” divulged Muluka.
She also added that protecting children from inappropriate content was crucial as it played a key role in determining how the children are raised into adulthood.
Protecting children from inappropriate content is a collective responsibility of all adults. Whether it is performances, exhibitions, or online, we need to check on what our children are watching,” stated Muluka.
She further added that the public should not wait for the regulatory bodies to come in but should also play their role actively to ensure a morally brought up society.
Muluka added that talent was important and urged parents not to restrain their children from starting as early as they could to nurture their talents for it may be their door opener in the future.
“Talent pays. It can take you places where books may not. I am not watering down the significance of education, but it is important we acknowledge that people are gifted differently. It is therefore vital to develop a whole person, both academically and on their God-given niches,” revealed Muluka.
She added that there are no white-collar jobs at the moment and only through being smart, like having talents and standing out can make someone put food on the table and live an admirable life.
She says if one has both academics and talent then the person is good to go on whichever path they wish to take adding that it would be an added advantage if the two can complement each other.
By Peter K’opiyo
