Recreating Sarafina! The students’ experience |

The M-PESA Foundation Academy (MFA) in Mang’u, Thika, recently performed a rendition of the world-famous musical Sarafina! 36 years after its first performance at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The musical, created by Mbongeni Ngema and written by jazz maestro Hugh Masekela, depicts the Soweto uprising in 1976 led by black students. The students took the audience on a sombre yet humorous two-hour journey deep into Soweto and the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Zennah Zawadi, the lead character, pushed herself out of her comfort zone and learned to be a risk-taker, confident, and strong for the sake of the team. The musical was produced by Judith “Koki” Chepkirui, the music teacher at the academy, and Naomi Wangari, the ICT Manager at the tech-intensive academy. The staging of the play served a greater role for the three adults in the room, as it created awareness about the music program and helped students discover themselves. #SafaricomNews