The process of nurturing talent at a young age is usually an interesting discussion topic especially in our society. On one hand, parents want their kids to focus on their studies and not “be waived” by activities like music, sports, art etc – and on the other hand, some talents are best nurtured at that time when their minds and bodies are open to new possibilities.
As they grow and continue to discover these talents and even shine because of them, we also need to applaud the very important work of their pillars in the background – their parents.
Parents and guardians play a huge role when it comes to supporting the talents of their children. From helping them acquire the resources they need like musical instruments or even helping them go for practice, the unwavering support of a parent is key.
For 18 year old Rayana Wairimu, the continuous support of her mother Mercy Wambugu is one of the reasons she excels not just as a member of the Safaricom Youth Orchestra but in other fields as well
“Rayana can best be described as incredibly self-driven. She plays the violin, basketball, hockey and swims and is also the sports captain at her school. Before COVID-19 happened, she also used to train with the under-18 Kenya hockey team at City Park as well as going for the orchestra practices but so much has changed,” said Mercy.
Taking a silent back seat
It was hard for Mercy to see Rayana not engage in all those activities due to the pandemic. She says that Rayana was at her best doing all that she loved, especially going for practice with the orchestra.
“The fact that they haven’t been playing together in some time had dampened her spirits but the tutors made it engaging for them and for a few moments, they even forgot they were in a pandemic and I’ve been more than happy and willing to continue supporting her throughout her musical journey,” she adds. “It’s been important for her and myself as well to support her in any way I can. Children excel more when they feel and know are supported and you see it not just in their talents but in their school work and life in general.”
Since its inception in 2014, the Safaricom Youth Orchestra has trained, taught and mentored young talents like Rayana from different parts of the city and despite the pandemic, Safaricom has continued to see that all the students keep learning and training. Last year, the telco donated 4G-enabled mobile handsets to the students to ensure that music lessons went on through e-learning and for some of the students, this was a relief off their shoulders since some parents already had to face difficult financial decisions in the household. This was also a relief for students who wanted to keep going with a passion they couldn’t do without.
On top of that, according to George Ndungu, an alumni of SYO, training hasn’t been easy for some students due to reasons like fluctuation of power in their homes and sometimes even having the motivation to attend classes without their colleagues but it has been necessary even for their well-being and their parents and guardians have been really supportive of them.
Music has played an interesting role in reminding them that even with the chaos, beauty can still be found as they play and it will be interesting to hear more about how the students have maneuvered yet again through the pandemic to graduate this Sunday.
Join the virtual event which will be streamed on Safaricom’s YouTube Channel from 2 PM East African time.
