Good old days of ‘bano’ and sack race experienced at MMU event

Friday went by in a haze of activities involving ‘bano’, sack race, ‘kubebana’, bucket-in, chess, skipping rope, dancing chairs, tug of war and football.

On paper, the event promised to be exciting and in the light of day, Supa 9 delivered more than excitement, it was a joyous celebration of childhood innocence and the vitality of youth.

Named for the nine games on the menu, it was hatched by the fourth year Applied Communication Class of Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) in partial fulfillment of their Bachelor’s Degree but it evolved into much more than course work.

As students flexed their muscles participating in the sack race contest, ‘bano’ and bucket-in competitions, it was clear that the activities were a reminder of days past. This is when childhood represented a freedom to play and bond, unencumbered by the dawn of responsibility brought on by adulthood.

But the day was not just fun and games, it was an exercise in partnership and team work, respect of rules and appreciation for sports.

“In every game, there are rules to be followed. For a child, this helps nurture the growth of skills and values as they learn to respect the rules. Games nurture team work and those like chess nurture attention to detail,” explained Event Coordinator Benedict Mwangi.

The skills learnt translate in almost every aspect of adult life, including employment, which is the next step for the fourth year students once they graduate and enter the labour market.

Needless to say, the students achieved their goal and much more. They managed to remind us of the joys of childhood while teaching us of the responsibilities of adulthood.

I certainly wish them the best not only in their final examinations but also in their future. May they score straight As, especially in the event organising examination.