Storytelling for a Brighter Future

ChildsPlay International (CPI) is thrilled to introduce an exciting new Storytelling Partnership aimed at supporting vulnerable children in Kenya.

In the past, CPI has successfully conducted Storytelling workshops in Migori and Mikei, both communities deeply impacted by the effects of HIV/AIDS, which has left many children orphaned. Our efforts have been channeled through schools and community groups, providing much-needed assistance.

New Storytelling Project in Kenya to Help Vulnerable Girls Heal

CPI held our first “Storytelling for a Brighter Future” session on July 23. The children and storytellers alike were filled with joy and satisfaction, and we share in their enthusiasm. This partnership marks another step towards making a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable children, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of this journey.

Local Partnership is the Key to Helping Vulnerable Children

Gloria Ochola, our esteemed local partner in Migori, is deeply committed to empowering vulnerable children, women, and girls in the community. She collaborates closely with the Tunaweza Empowerment Organization (TEO), a dedicated local non-profit organization that focuses on advancing women’s rights and fostering youth development. The first Storytelling for a Brighter Future session was held in a Kuria school past weekend (we will talk more about the Kuria people further down on the page).

“Tunaweza” in Swahili means ‘we can,’ reflecting their belief in the power of collective effort.

CPI’s Storytelling Collaboration is Play-based Learning and Cultural Preservation

This storytelling collaboration aims to bring the transformative power of storytelling to these young minds, providing them with a platform to express themselves, find strength in their voices, and ultimately shape a brighter future for themselves and their community. Through this joint effort, we seek to create a nurturing environment where these vulnerable children can thrive and reach their full potential.

“Storytelling is a unique way for kids to develop an understanding, respect, and appreciation for other cultures, and can promote a positive attitude toward other people.“

~ Gloria Ochola

Drawing is an Important Part of CPI’s Storytelling Workshops

Storytelling Experiences a Renaissance in Africa

The oral storytelling tradition experiences a renaissance in Africa. In Kenya, it has even become part of the school curriculum, according to the Goethe Institute. The rich tradition of Kenyan storytelling serves as a conduit for ideas that transport the listener to the realms of imagination, offering an escape from the constraints of reality. Through this age-old practice, Kenyans, and especially children, have the opportunity to express and share their unique perspectives on the world, employing their native language as a means of personal communication.

Play Brings Healing to Children Suffering from Trauma

Play brings healing to children suffering from trauma. Trauma takes many forms – pandemics, war, poverty, HIV orphanhood, displacement – and it affects children the most. We can’t rid the world of these conditions, but CPI helps create a place of safety and normalcy through play, allowing respite, resiliency, and joy. 

Play is always at the center of everything that we do, and Storytelling is Play-based learning at its best.

CPI’s new program, Storytelling for a Brighter Future – Migori, Kenya, aims to preserve and revitalize local cultural heritage in Migori County, located on the border with Tanzania. Storytelling, Song and Dance, Education, mask-making and Cultural Conservation are the pillars of CPI’s programs. Through play, children not only uphold the tradition but also put their own unique interpretations into it. Play becomes a vibrant space where culture and imagination intertwine, fostering a dynamic and ever-changing tapestry of shared experiences and narratives.

“One way in which tradition and culture are maintained between generations is through the practice of Storytelling…it is important not to alter or change traditional stories, but rather understand their background and meaning.” 

~ Gloria Ochola

A look into the History and Culture of the Kuria

Historically the Kuria have mainly practiced pastoralism and farming. They cultivated finger millet, sweet potatoes, sorghum and cow peas, and keep cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys. In the past, the Kuria traded with their neighboring Maasai and Luo communities, with whom they exchanged animals for grains, weapons or ornaments, among other things.

Google Arts and Culture states: The Kuria belongs to the Bantu linguistic group. In Kenya, they live in Migori County. They are divided into clans (ibiaro) with minor variations in laws, practices and language. The Kuria do not have a common historical background. Their traditions indicate that they are related with the Abalogoli of the Abaluyia and the Kisii communities, who trace their dispersal point to Mount Elgon region.

Storytelling as Cultural Conservation in Migory County

This Storytelling program for vulnerable children aims to preserve and revitalize local cultural heritage in Migori County, on the border with Tanzania. 

Storytelling has existed as part of African culture for a long period of time. The culture of Storytelling was cultivated and carried forth by oral storytellers who created a powerful sense of intimacy between the storyteller and the audience. Narratives, music and dance were used to preserve and pass down knowledge and to communicate morality and the code of conduct from one generation to the next.

CPI’s Storytelling Manual

CPI has produced a Storytelling Manual that is free of charge to NGOs and schools globally. The manual on CPI’s on-the-ground, hands-on experience, we have successfully placed the programs in schools in several countries! It’s one of the ways we are helping children around the world to experience the benefit of play. Experts in the field of storytelling – Prof. Caroline Beauregard and Dr. Jean-Elie Gilles have weighed in. CPI also considered the feedback of teachers, parents, community leaders, and kids themselves, when creating the manuals.

Storytelling a