“A good orator is pointed and impassioned.” -Marcus T. Cicero

Ryan K., 11, is in Class 6 at the Mawewa Elementary School in Mathare. Ryan worked diligently this year to prepare for his public speaking performances at the 2016 Kenya Music Festival events. Finding the time to work on his skill was complicated by a daily one-hour commute to-and-from school, necessitating that he rise at 5 AM and occasionally arrive home as late as 7 PM.Ryan’s public speaking performance started at the local level and advanced to the regional (Metropolitan) and national events. At the Metropolitan Level, he earned a trophy, a place in the national competition, and received media attention.The Standard Media, a leading Kenyan newspaper, mentioned Ryan’s award-winning performance in an article about the regional competition. The story stated that Ryan moved his audience with his warning about the current fad of gambling that has taken the Kenyan youth by storm. He warned those in attendance that betting hinders a child’s time to be creative and interferes with learning a skill to earn an income.At the National Level Contest, held on August 9 in Nairobi, public speaking contestants received his or her topic 10 minutes before their turn to speak. Within that time, Ryan had to develop his speech and then present it to the judges. Ryan received the topic “My Favorite Teacher. He spoke about Mawewa School’s Deputy Head Teacher, Ms. Macharia, who was present during Ryan’s speech. In his description of her, he said, “she is as tall as a giraffe,” which amused the audience.The judges were impressed with his presentation. They advised him to tone down his dramatic delivery for future orations, then awarded him fifth place in his age group - an impressive accomplishment for an 11-year-old elementary school boy! Afterward, he celebrated his achievement with those present to support him – his parents and sister, Ms. Macharia, teacher Mr. Nzoka, eduKenya Director Bob Kikuyu, and Communication Coordinator Pauline Ng’ang’a.The eduKenya and Mawewa School teams are so proud of this young man and look forward to watching him continue to develop his oratory skills in the years ahead.