Drama Festival Students Benefit from Economic Empowerment Drive
More than 50,000 young participants at the ongoing Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF) are actively gaining crucial financial literacy skills, learning how to manage bank accounts, effectively use debit cards, and develop strategies to monetize their creative talents.
This initiative reflects a significant push to equip young artists with practical economic skills, transforming their passion into viable livelihoods.
The learners showcasing their performances under an Equity Bank theme represent a substantial portion of the 120,000 participants attending the festival, drawing from primary, junior and senior secondary schools, TVETs, colleges, and universities. This broad reach emphasizes the festival's commitment to engaging a diverse spectrum of young talent.
As one of the main partners at the festival, which is themed Driving Kenya’s Development Through Theatre and Film, Equity encourages students to showcase performances under its specific sub-theme: Leveraging Technology to Make Banking a Lifestyle.
In response to the festival’s progression, Peter Ndoro, Head of Education at Equity Bank, said, "We came into these festivals very much aware that the creative sector is an avenue that can be used to create a career, a pathway, an opportunity for economic enterprise. Our aim is to help these young talents understand how to monetize their skills and foster economic enterprise within the creative sector."
"From Equity's side, we have been challenged, and therefore we are moving with speed to find out how we can create an economic enterprise for the learners, for those who are talented, and for their trainers as well,” he added.
The bank has sponsored 16 genres across plays, choral verses, solo narratives, singing games and adverts, observing "very good productions" that effectively convey messages about technology's role and digital banking.
Demonstrating a high level of direct interest, Ndoro also confirmed over 1,600 direct, in-person engagements with teachers and students at the Equity Bank tent, complementing the broader financial literacy outreach to over 50,000 learners. This significant engagement signifies a strong desire for personalized information and support from the bank's initiatives.
“We are very proud that we have been able to take the message of financial literacy across the country,” Ndoro stated.
The festival’s commitment to holistic development is further championed by Professor Christopher Odhiambo, Chairperson of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF). He detailed the festival's multi-faceted approach, which includes stage and film performances, a dedicated conference, and professional masterclasses.
"This year's festival is structured in three parts," Professor Odhiambo explained. "We have the stage and film performances, a conference running alongside with partners like Tunga Kenya, and masterclasses offered by professional actors and filmmakers, including the Kenya Actors Guild and Tunga Africa. This is crucial as we want our teachers to leverage this opportunity, especially with the new pathway of sports and arts."
Parallel to the student-focused programs, teachers are actively participating in specialized creative workshops designed to provide them with hands-on technical skills. Professor Odhiambo emphasized that these integrated initiatives are vital for both artistic and economic development, particularly in delivering new subjects and addressing resource person limitations.
The festival's overarching theme, Bold Storytellers, Digital Stages Driving Kenya's Development Through Theater and Film, encourages broad interpretation.