Versatile photographers knows no boundaries. We venture to the farthest corners of our nation with no discrimination of people or county.
On this day we set off for Nyaga primary school, deep in Kiambu county in “kwa-maiko”, -funny how some places get names, fancy kinangop or kinangofu as one David macharia of versatile photographers would say,the white man referred to the place as “kings gulf” but the kikuyu with heavy tongues or rather lack of an ear for detail made it “kinangofu”.
After an hours drive in an Uber we were at school. Our mission was to film a children’s programme for our television venture, Versatile Tv and to distribute sanitary towels to the girl child. Lucky were we seeing as it was the eleventh of October, International day for the girl child.
The bell was rang and the kids poured out from their classes into the parade grounds, smiling from ear to ear. This brought back memories from my school days when I worried less and smiled more.
“Good morning children?”
“G-o-o-d-i m-o-r-n-i-n-g t-o y-o-u t-o-o.”the children answered in unison in a sing song style making every letter stand out on its own.The headmaster introduced us to the kids and one of our colleagues took over,narrating a story she just made up,where she was the hero and I the villain, receiving cheer from the kids .
“G-o-o-d-i m-o-r-n-i-n-g t-o y-o-u t-o-o.”
We set off for the business of the day,where Aunt Edith our hero colleague showed the children how to plant trees and care for the seedlings as we filmed them.
We then moved on to a group of boys who make footballs to play with with use of plastic bags.what a way to conserve the environment.We also got some girls to do a folk song for the camera.I must admit that folk songs play such a major role in shaping society applauding virtues while condemning vices.
“Maito witu ndikamutua ritwa na ndikamutengura wooi, ndimwitaga kioni wanyoneire eeeh Ngai yakwa ya kerii”
(My mother I shall not call her by name,I will never abandon her,I shall call her my seer my second god.)
Our day culminated with giving sanitary pads to the girls and giving encouragement to the candidates awaiting to sit for their national examinations.
It is said that if you empower a girl you empower the whole community.I couldn’t agree more.
Article by John Njoori for versatile photographers