Skill Up, Young African
I couldn’t possibly know how it would pan out. I wasn’t told my expectations would be far below the point. But of course, I never shared them with anyone. All I did was create a mental picture anyway, it was the least I could do.
At first, when my sister, Zeruiah, read out that the flyer called for designers and animators, I immediately found a reason not to attend with her, who was the primary inspiration. But she gripped my hand and wouldn’t let me off, all the while, she explained that there were more on the list. I took a deep breath, let it out loudly and recited the times table underneath.
Suddenly, I heard her breath catch and watched her eyes light up when she mouthed the word, ‘scriptwriters’ at me. I stiffened, rolled my eyes and groaned. It was signed and sealed; I was going to this conference, and no one was coming to my aid. I shrugged somberly as a response accepting my fate, but that did little to dampen her excitement.
An hour later saw her registering us both. She squealed with every success made and groaned whenever her network connection stood in her way. I was at my table with my eyes closed and roaming the back of my head. I needed all the concentration as I tried to piece a stubborn sentence in the new story I was writing.
D-day arrived too soon, it was not my typical Friday morning of sleeping in as I was wont to. Even if I wanted to, I had this to contend with.
“Rise and shine!” Zee called out, drawing the curtains apart.
I squinted at the blazing sun and would have thrown myself into a fit but for the cheerful smile on her face and her high spirits. Suffice it to say that we were ready in under an hour, all thanks to her matron-like push.
Who knew that the world celebrated Youth Skills Day? I didn’t.
So you can imagine my surprise when I walked in to find that the conference was not only geared towards that but also about celebrating young people like me who were animators, had skills in programming, and were good with videography. And oh! Did I mention that the other passengers in the vehicle my sister and I boarded were all headed to the Young African SKill Alliance Conference (YASAC)? I was in a pleasant state of surprise and got curious about it all the more.
We arrived to meet a speaker addressing an audience of enthusiastic creatives such as us; little did I know that the time of our lives had begun. We received training and enlightenment from industry-grounded gurus who not only taught us the theoretical aspects of these skills but showed the actual application of these theories in their work with proven results.
Zee all but broke my right hand in her fits of elation. I was all the more glad to be by her side to witness this epoch-making event. Having unlearned and relearned the fascinating wonders of my creative world, I was ready to take on the world, but Africa became my primary focus.
In the end, we mingled with other creators and shared highlights of the various sessions we participated in and made careful notes of who to collaborate with and what for. The future was all too bright for me, I knew it was luminescent for Zee already.
I couldn’t possibly know how this would pan out.
Although, I never shared them with anyone and all I did was create mental pictures, as it was the least I could do. I later found out that my expectations were far below the standard.
I’m so glad Zee pointed me to YASAC.
