Written by John Mutahi, an alumnus of HHFL
For a while now, I haven’t shared an update of my whereabouts, and I think this is the perfect moment as we close the year.
I am still deeply immersed into my passion for art, design, photography and all manner of creative arts. This year has come with a special milestone in my life, where after trying for quite sometime to make a hack into the animation industry, I finally got my foot in by being featured in a kids project.
Uli and Tata African nursery rhymes is an animation series that follows the extra ordinary adventures of two siblings in search of Africa’s nursery rhymes. Through song and story, they learn important life lessons while celebrating the rich cultural and natural biodiversity we have in Africa. By sharing these videos, we get to share with the world what it looks like to be a child in an African setup in the tropical savanna, as well as helping African children appreciate how lucky and blessed we are to in this side of the world – from the beautiful cities, to the countryside landscapes, all the way to the coastal lands with the sea and sandy beaches.
I have been featured as a compositor, whose work is to put together all the components of the production to make an exciting meaningful piece of an animation video. It is very gratifying to me to finally use my skills to do something I am in love with, something that brings out my values, and in a way give back to my African community.
At Cisty Media, my very own startup, it is a beehive of activity. This is where I do all the work behind the scenes. I celebrate this milestone, and I am thankful for the exposure that HHFL gave me which has enabled me reach where I am. I hope to continue being an inspiration to not just HHFL children, but to many other African children who may feel obstructed by the many challenges we face when growing up. Passion, focus and dedication is the way to go.
Here is a link to one of the videos featured in my animation project:
Such wins motivate me to even sharpen my skills and stretch myself beyond my comfort zone. There is so much to be experienced across the world to an open mind that grabs opportunities when they come.
