At the start of September, a theatrical competition was held among primary school students at the Nyakuron Cultural Center in Juba. The weeklong occasion provided students the opportunity to express their concerns and uplift various aspects of the South Sudanese culture through music, dance and vocal expressions. During the last day of the theatrical competition held on Friday, in attendance was the popular entertainer named Silver-X. Upon his entrance into the cultural center, the crowd of young faces cheered for him. Responding to the enthusiasm of his fans, Silver-X rocked the stage by performing several of his hit songs which included “Ana Bi Wori.” In the song, Silver-X advises young girls to stay in school, help their mothers in the home and refrain from going to discos.

After presenting his songs to the crowd of fans, Silver-X took the time to speak with The Mail. “I am proud to have participated in this important event,” he stated. Silver-X shared his happiness at the manner in which the theatrical competition was organized and the attendance of many students. He also affirmed that non-profit organizations and the government should not only focus on theatrical performances but also invest resources in sports events such as soccer and volleyball or establish debate teams in schools to ensure students are kept occupied thus limiting their chances of participating in adverse activities.

Noting the difficulties associated with students speaking the English language which can translate to poor theatrical performances when students use English to communicate their message to the audience. Silve- X stated the significance of establishing of a strong curriculum that would promote the English language in both primary and secondary schools within the country. According to Silver-X, “You can easy find a secondary school student at the senior level who can only write in English, but when it comes to speaking the English language, he is unable to speak it fluently and instead chooses to mix English, Arabic and his mother tongue.” Silver-X further mentioned, “Teachers need to force students to speak English when they are in school instead of permitting them to talk in Arabic or their mother tongue. By practicing regularly, students will easily learn the English language and be able to benefit from it in the future when they are searching for jobs.

Published with permision from The Mail Newspaper.