Anno's One Fine Day commences construction of Arts Centre Kibera for youth creativity

Anno's One Fine Day and One Fine Day, a Kenyan and German NGO, respectively, have begun constructing a unique cultural Centre for young adults and children in Kibera.

The project, called Arts Centre Kibera, is a collaboration between the two organizations and is being supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH's project on Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI).

The Arts Centre Kibera aims to provide creative opportunities for children and young adults in the area.

German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, during the foundation laying of the Arts Center Kibera. Photo courtesy, Boniface Muthoni. Pulse Live Kenya

The construction of the Arts Centre Kibera was initiated with a foundation-laying ceremony attended by several dignitaries, including the Chief of Staff, Office of the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts, Nasimiyu Wekesa, the German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, and several local administrators. The ceremony involved students of the centre and community members, who added blessings.

Empowering young adults in cultural and creative industries

The collaboration between Anno's One Fine Day and German Development Cooperation includes an accompanying training program for young adults in the cultural and creative industries, focusing on music, fashion, and podcasts.

The programs aims to improve job and income prospects for young creative professionals from socially disadvantaged backgrounds who often have limited access to cultural and other training programs.

Delegates in attendance during the foundation laying of Anno's One Fine Day Photo. courtesy, Boniface Muthoni. Pulse Live Kenya

At the same time, the education and training programs aim to strengthen the self-confidence and self-image of young Kenyans in Kibera by addressing social issues in the context of the podcasting sessions.

According to the German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth, Kibera is challenging, especially for young people. Still, it also holds a lot of opportunities for young creatives to contribute to East Africa's dynamic and innovative creative industries.

"The Arts Center Kibera provides young people with access to skills and training to set foot in the creative sector and tap into its immense potential for economic, social and digital transformation. This is why Germany supports the construction of the ARTS CENTRE as well as several of its training programs," he stated.

local administration representative taking part during the foundation laying of Art Center Kibera in Kibera ( Photo courtesy Boniface Muthoni.) Pulse Live Kenya

A community-based organization

Anno's One Fine Day is a Nairobi-based Community-Based Organization (CBO) to enable disadvantaged children and young adults to access creative spaces of art and strengthen their self-esteem.

The organization engages children and young adults with arts and crafts, allowing them to explore and develop their skills, promoting self-reliance, opening their eyes to new possibilities and perspectives, and awakening their ambitions.

It offers weekly creative classes in visual arts, dance, ballet, drama, music, acrobatics, and creative writing/storytelling, with over 1,000 students participating.