Every 21st February, the International Mother Language Day honors linguistic diversity and multilingualism globally.
The Kenya National Commission for UNESCO in partnership with the UNESCO Chair on Community Radio for Agricultural Education – Rongo University hosted this year’s celebrations at the Black Market area within the university. The colorful ceremony provided a forum for students to elevate the position of Mother Language and its use within the University community. The event was marked with colorful displays of cultural foods, attire and vibes. In attendance was a youthful and upcoming Ohangla artist, Elly Mtoto Wa Shule from the Suba Community.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Fostering multilingualism for inclusion in education and society”. According to Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, when 40% of the world’s inhabitants do not have access to education in the language they speak or understand best, it hinders their learning, as well as their access to heritage and cultural expression.
Due to the scholarly environment at Rongo University, transitioning from a student to a professional was timely and accurate. Rongo University taught me not only academic issues, but also how to transform a dystopic society into an egalitarian community by applying both academic and ambassadorial skills.
Indeed, the decision to study at Rongo University was virtuous.
I would like to thank the Rongo University fraternity for the extra support provided and mentoring during face-to-face classes and even during the pandemic, where we could reach them remotely. This made us feel welcomed and it projected a united classroom through the e-learning system and other online platforms. .