Celebrating Swahili Day 2018

Swahili Day

Swahili Day is a day that has been set aside by the school, every year to celebrate the Kiswahili language and culture of the Swahili people. This year marks eleven years since the start of these celebrations.

The MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) Department takes charge of the events with the help of the DP1 students. It is now a tradition that the DP1’s form committees and help in coordinating the events with the help of all the MFL teachers.

Swahili Day 2018

Previously, the DP1 Swahili students, were in charge of the decorations around the school and in the commons where the Swahili Assembly took place.

The day started with Swahili music playing in the staffroom and in the commons at lunch time. It is a non-uniform day and all the students and staff don Swahili attire, from lessos or kangas to kanzus, buibui’s, dera’s and vikoi’s.

At break time, one of the student CAS groups organized to sell some Swahili snacks to the stduents at the gazebos while, the MFL department provided a variety of Swahili snacks to their colleagues in the staffroom. There were different snacks and drinks such as; Vitumbua, mabuyu, achari, mkate wa sinia, viazi karai, madafu, kashata. The list is endless…

Additionally, there was heena painting that was open to all students, both Junior and Senior School students as well as staff, who enjoy having their hands and palms painted with heena and piko.

At lunch time, the whole school enjoyed a Swahili meal, delicious desserts and mouth-watering Swahili drinks, namely tamarind juice and madafu.

Right after lunch, the student performances began after the Kiswahili National Anthem and East African Anthem was sung and the school prayer read out in Kiswahili.

The MC’s took to the stage and helped run the programme. The guest speaker was Dr. Biasha Athman, who is also a parent at the Academy. The performances ranged from, dances, skits, plays, jokes, public speaking competition and a fashion show, in which the best dressed students and teachers graced the stage. It was interesting and great to see both the beginners speaking and performing with confidence and the advanced students taking to the stage and showcasing what they had learned in their respective classes.

All this could not have taken place without the MFL Department and the DP1 Swahili students.

By Meritaton Kirigha