I should have done this earlier but… life got in the way?
So Graduation happened in May and I left India after being there for 2 years. Honestly, it was less emotional than I expected, mostly due to the fact that I was excited to take a gap year and a break from the traditional education system which was honestly draining. I wanted to learn more about me and what I am capable of. (cliche but it’s the truth) It's quite ironic that I went to India and didn’t find myself :)
Anyways, while I was just chilling at home during the summer of my gap year, my Ugandan friend William messaged me on Instagram with a poster advertising applications for the MultiChoice Talent Factory. It was 2 days to the deadline so I applied as quickly as I could, trying to sound as excited and authentic as possible (whatever that means).
Soon enough, I got a call inviting me for the interviews at the MultiChoice offices off Ngong Road. On the day, I wore a dress, did my edges for the first time in my life and got my mum to drop me off at the offices. I was the second person to be interviewed and the first girl came out of the interview claiming that it was tough, so that didn’t really help me. On top of that, I was made to hold up signs and recite cheesy statements with an uncomfortable grin on my face. (if you know the grin, you know). Anyways, the interview went smoother than I expected. The panel consisted of 6 women within the industry all exclaiming at how young I was (I was 18 at the time) and how confident and mature they thought I was… who would’ve guessed?
About a month later, I got a call that I was shortlisted to be a participant in the program and soon enough, it was confirmed! So, it’s now been about a month since I began this journey (it feels like 5), and it has been phenomenal so far! The people I’ve met are so passionate, determined and driven towards achieving different goals, but at the end of the day, our love for film unites us (cheesy but true!)
Some of the things I have been able to do are:
Introduce myself about 50 times to different people in a week (you get tired of hearing yourself over and over and realize how boring your introductions are)
Learn how to sit on a hard wooden seat for the entire day
Watch films almost every day with the group and strongly critique them
Explore more and learn more about Nairobi
Do the Standard Chartered Marathon with some of the group and bond more!
Laugh. A lot.
Learn about Film (duh), Ethics and Integrity, Law etc.
Overall, I’m having a great time! I cannot wait to see what’s coming for me through the year and see how much I’ll have grown and learnt a year from now.
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