Deep social challenges facing families and schools took centre stage during the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival at Kagumo Teachers Training College.

Students used theatre, dance and storytelling to confront  issues ranging from parental negligence and emotional neglect to inequality in education and the growing influence of technology among the youth.

The performances revealed a stark reflection of the struggles many learners face both at home and in school, with themes highlighting widening disparities between well-equipped national schools and under-resourced institutions, strained family relationships, and the pressure placed on teachers to fill gaps left by parents.

One of the most striking performances came from Precious Blood Riruta with a play titled “The Letter Box,” which explored the emotional consequences of parental neglect and the desperate search for affection among children.

The play follows the story of Hannah, a young girl who struggles with loneliness and emotional abandonment despite growing up in a financially stable home. Through a heartbreaking suicide note, Hannah confronts her mother over years of emotional absence.

“Mother, I am in pain. I lie in this hospital bed as a consequence of an absentee mother. Your imperial treatment and emotional absence pushed me to commit suicide,” she wrote in the note.

In the play, Hannah’s mother is portrayed as a career-driven professional who focuses on providing material comfort but fails to offer emotional support.

Another character, Clara, highlights the contrast between children from different backgrounds. Clara’s mother works as a driver for Hannah’s family, yet both children struggle with neglect in different ways.

“This is the battlefield, this is a congregation of hypocrites,” Clara says in a powerful monologue directed at parents. “All of you are parents charged with the divine duty of taking care of children, yet you have all fallen short.”

The performance resonated strongly with audiences as it exposed a reality where many parents prioritise financial success over emotional connection with their children.

Teachers in the play also expressed frustration at being forced to fill roles beyond their professional responsibilities.

“The teacher, I am doing my best to put a smile on the face of your mother,” one teacher says in the play, highlighting the struggle educators face when trying to support learners who lack emotional stability at home.

Eventually, Hannah finds temporary comfort in writing letters to a symbolic “letter box,” which becomes her emotional refuge.

“We are the custodians of your despair. Share your worries and your conscience will be clear,” the letter box represents in her imagination. “This is my oasis in the hot dry places.”

The play ends with a powerful message calling on parents to actively participate in their children’s lives and not assume that financial provision alone is enough.

Technology and innovation also emerged as key themes during the festival, with schools highlighting how digital tools are transforming education and employment opportunities for young people.

Other performances during the festival also reflected deeper societal inequalities.

Emusire High School staged a French play titled “Résumé,” produced by Benson Oranga, which tells the story of students excluded from a school trip because their families cannot afford the cost.

However, Bernard and several other students are excluded because their families cannot afford the required fee.

Desperate to join their classmates, Bernard seeks help from a pastor and later from a moneylender, but both attempts fail to resolve the situation.

After unsuccessful attempts to seek help from community leaders, the case ends up in court where the judge rules against the moneylender for exploiting the students.

“The law will not allow the exploitation of vulnerable families,” the judge declares in the play.

Another character reflects the students’ frustration, saying, “Education should bring us together, not separate us because of poverty.”

The ruling orders the moneylender to refund double the amount taken, allowing all students to finally participate in the trip.

Flamingo Senior School presented a creative cultural dance titled “3D,” which explored the influence of technology and online trends among youth.

The story follows Tito, a young boy who desires a fashionable 3D T-shirt trending online. When his father refuses to buy it, Tito eventually earns money through digital opportunities and buys it himself.

The performance demonstrated how technology is opening new avenues for youth employment and creativity, even in remote areas where solar power is being used to support digital innovation.

Through art, hospitality and online work, students portrayed technology as a tool capable of transforming lives and unlocking economic opportunities for young people.

Another powerful performance came from Sosit Girls Senior High School in a play titled “The Winning Project,” which addressed inequality in Kenya’s education system.

The play focuses on Isabella, the daughter of a boda boda rider and a vegetable vendor, who studies in a poorly equipped school competing against prestigious institutions with better infrastructure and resources.

The storyline highlights the reality that students from under-resourced schools often sit the same national examinations as learners from well-funded national schools.

“Why don’t you show us the project for this competition? We want to see how creative you can be,” a teacher challenges students during a school science congress preparation.

However, the school struggles to produce competitive projects due to limited resources and few students participating in co-curricular activities.

The play also explores jealousy and class discrimination among students, culminating in the destruction of a science project due to envy and social tensions.

Yet the message remains hopeful: that determination and talent can emerge from any background.

“Your background will not determine your future,” a character declares. “You can make good from a difficult situation.”

Koyonzo Secondary School presented a narrative titled “Handshake,” urging Kenyans not to allow political divisions to destroy peaceful coexistence.

Other performances included creative dances and plays from schools such as Kisumu Girls High School, Butere Girls High School and Shimo La Tewa High School.

The chairman of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival, Christopher Joseph Odhiambo, said the festival is increasingly embracing technology in stage productions.

“We want the stage performance to embrace technology especially in presentation of sets and scenes,” he said while addressing participants at Kagumo Teachers Training College.

Odhiambo noted that the introduction of junior secondary schools into the festival has also brought fresh ideas and creativity to the stage.

“This year the junior secondary schools have presented great ideas on stage,” he added.

The 64th edition of the national drama festival began on April 6 and will run until April 17 under the theme “Bold Storytellers, Digital Stages: Kenya’s Development Through Theatre and Film.”