KFCB To Roll Out Cinema Mashinani Program to nurture young talents

By Judy Jerono Cinema Mashinani Program is set to be rolled out across the country by The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) in collaboration with the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDFF) which will help in identifying and nurturing new talents. Speaking to the press during Kisumu Children Festival (KICHFEST), Nelly Muluka who applauded the program, said that it was good to have children engaged in constructive work such as talent identification and development. The KFCB manager further said the plans to kick off the program are in pipeline and at advanced stage adding that the program will involve learners from early childhood to the universities which she said will help children grow holistically. “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. Muluka 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 noted that when children are kept positively busy they cannot get involved in wicked behaviour instead she said they will nurture their skills that may become their future sources of income. “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,” Muluka stated She stated that KFCB and other talent development organizations will collaborate to enhance noble conversation for clean content production which will enable 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 insisted on adults to ensure children are not exposed in inappropriate content as it plays 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 moreover asked the public not to wait for the regulatory bodies to come in but should also play their role actively to ensure a morally brought up society.