Balancing Act: Reality TV vs. KCPE
There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on earth. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all other things you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, Matthew 6:33-34a ERV)
If you ask his Class 8 companions, they will tell you that Benard, 13, is quiet, well-mannered, even-tempered, and a brilliant, deep thinker. They will also say he is stressing about the upcoming KCPE exams as they all are. In May 2016, Benard’s most fervent hope was to do well on the exam, get into a good high school, and someday become a physician. Now, he hopes to take a detour on the road to his dream.In June, Nairobi TV station KTN announced auditions for a live reality show competition, Sing Out, for children ages three-to-thirteen. The winner will receive a prize of KES 500,000 ($4942 USD). When the Sing Out Promo first aired on television, Benard told his mother he could sing better than most of the children performing in the promotional ad. She thought he was teasing because she had never heard him sing; realizing he was serious, she asked for a song.Dumbfounded by Benard’s talent his mother arranged a July 26 audition with the television station. After a remarkable performance before a panel of judges, Benard was selected as a top 20 participant. Thus began a balancing act between pursuing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and fulfilling his obligation as a Class 8 KCPE candidate.On one hand, Benard must quickly learn the skill of artistic performance to develop a unique and compelling presentation appealing to the judges. For a reserved young man without past exposure, this process has been disquieting. The school term break gave him the opportunity to become comfortable in front of a camera and to rehearse with his voice coach, eduKenya’s Kenyan Communication Coordinator, Pauline Ng’ang’a.On the other hand, Benard is committed to preparing for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam, an important educational milestone. Passing the exam will enable him to advance to high school, and his exam score will affect the academic quality of the school he is eligible to attend. Study for this exam is intensive, as is the exam itself, which takes place over a four-day period in November.Benard is not counting on celebrity as the ticket to his future although he is milking this experience for all it’s worth. He continues to work hard at his studies and exam preparation, for he knows his long-term goals are well-grounded. He also knows that the contest award would provide fees for four years of high school and a part of his college tuition. So, Benard takes this present balancing act seriously.We hope for God’s blessing on Benard’s efforts and ask that you join us in prayer for him. Please ask God to help Benard: