No matter what it is, such as being a skilled athlete, a gifted writer, or an extraordinary painter, the gift of talent has the ability to both uplift and change the course of anyone’s life. Possessing talent that can be used to enrich someone’s life for the better can bring one out of a current state of dread or hardship, no matter who they are or where the individual settles. In Kenya, a group of child musicians are using their musical talent to better their lives.

According to the article “The Kenyan slum where musical prodigies are made” written by Colin Hancock and Thomas Page and published by CNN, one of Kenya’s largest and most impoverished slums is producing a lot of young musical prodigies. According to the article, a program which has been nick-named Ghetto Classics is “the brainchild of The Art of Music Foundation, whose main mission is to promote the appreciation and performance of music among underprivileged communities in Kenya. Started in 2009, the initiative teaches more than 300 children every week, providing tuition for free.” Through donations of both money and instruments to the program, it is helping the young children who are living in the slum to better their lives, as the director of the program, Elizabeth Njoroge stated that “These are kids with very little structure and supervision in their lives, and learning to master complex skills such as classical music gives them important life skills they might not otherwise learn.”

Ultimately, the program has helped the children learn both their talent and potential. According to the article, one of the children involved in the program, Vienna Adhiambo, a clarinetist, stated that the program “has really helped me realize myself. [It’s helped me realize] what kind of goals I want to achieve and the right path I should follow.” Similarly, Erich Ochieng, a saxophonist who took part in the program has helped him organize his life for the better, as currently Ochieng is currently attending college where he is studying music.

Besides giving the children who are a part of the music a sense of accomplishment and direction, the music program also serves as a social program for the children. According to Njoroge in the article, the program aims to achieve a sense of almost family like camaraderie, in order to help the children who have faced extreme difficulties during the course of their lives. The article further reports that support for each other is a big component of what makes the program work, as Njoroge stated that “By far the biggest challenge is the lives of the kids themselves. They live tough lives, [and face] extreme poverty, abuse – emotional, physical and sexual, and hopelessness.” Furthermore, by helping the children achieve a sense of accomplishment, the program has also benefitted the community.

According to the article, another goal of the program is to make classical music more popular across Kenya, which, in the beginning of the program, caused some criticism from others. According to Njoroge in the article, the residents of the community where the program started where very skeptical of the program, as Njoroge specifically stated that “When we started, the community thought we were crazy – they laughed at us. Now the community is very proud.” The communities growing enthusiasm for the program is extremely relevant has reached both achievements in talent as well as performance.

Njoroge stated in the article that the potential of the students is extremely great, even going as far as stating that she believes that some students have the potential to become professional musicians. Performance wise, the group biggest achievement, described in the article, has been being invited by the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, to perform at Kenya’s State House to perform on Kenya’s Independence Day, which Njoroge considers the groups greatest achievement.