Buruburu Girls Secondary School stole the show at the ongoing Kenya National Drama Festival Nairobi Regional editions with their captivating creative cultural dance Jalupo presented at Dagoretti High School yesterday.
In traditional colourful owalo sisal skirts, the girls gave a show of commitment as they went through the pace and formations of a dance that depicts a troubled woman who has to wriggle through the travails of making a decent fishmonger business.
Yet the story breaks the seams of culture and sails through the stormy gales of gender by letting a woman, hitherto taboo, go on sail and fish by herself.
Well, the story depicts a young woman (Mercy Deborah) faced with the arduous task of fending for her family and she chooses the most feasible and manageable business in the lakeshore village, which is to sell fish.
The 'fisherman' and his supplier, Jalupo (Ruth Joana) insist that for him to supply fish to women fishmongers, they must first unveil whatever is behind the cover of their loin clothes.
Instead of falling prey and victim to such unhealthy social demands that put him at risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, he does the unthinkable.
But her story thickens when her child falls sick and she has been asked to get Omega Three from the fish to help heal her child.
Undeterred, the young fishmonger dares venture into getting her own boat and fishing nets and voila! She goes into the thick of the lake armed with a lantern and behold, she comes back with a big catch.
So big is the catch that it settles the nerves of the restless male fisherfolk who had had their tongues wagging.
Produced by Stella Wambui and directed by Patrick Ngere, the dance is a manifestation of what women can do to advance the economic interest of the community when they go out of the box.
Soloists Vitoria Natasha, Veronica Moraa, Shanice Blace, Josephine Njoka and Mercy Deborah hit the right note as reverberations from drumbeats by Betty Wambui, flute by Beverly Masaka, shakers by Angela Wanjiru, nyatiti and marimba by Lorna Sikona brought a harmonious rendition.
"Our participation here is going for the students not only to tap their talent but also have a rich interaction and exchange with fellow students from other schools that is good for their development," said the Buruburu Girls Chief Principal Stella Wambui who was at the venue as early as 7am with her students to open the programme of activities together with hosts Dagoretti High School.
The latter presented a choral verse Bedsitter, produced by Goretti Rabut, that depicted the trials of a community that lived in squalor but who realised that with solidarity they could do so much to change their lives, especially in the realms of clean water and sanitation.
Moi Girls School Nairobi thrilled with their oral narrative Maggy Maggy produced by Margaret Njaga and directed by Evans Washika.
The duo of Marion Achieng and Jollyanne Wangari were consummate in their story about a classmate, Maggy, from a wealthy background but with serious challenges in her academics.
"She would be number one, from the bottom," they narrated of the persona.
Maggy would resort to cheating by using her money to buy exams only to find out that she bought fake exams exacerbating her lot. She works hard to change her fortunes.
Also performing on day four of the festival were Ofafa Jericho, Nairobi School, Shadrack Kimalel, Kahawa Garrison, County Girls, State House Girls, Precious Blood Riruta, Huruma Girls and St Aloysoius Starehe Centre.
The regional ended on Saturday with a winner's gala.
