Everyone has a story to tell. These stories can be healing and beneficial to all. They say words have power—positive power. People who have found their voice, shared their story, and reaffirmed their values often find a sense of peace and hope that they did not have before. These stories shape lives. They make us all human. When we share stories of the defining moments in our lives, we connect at a deeper level, beyond roles and goals. It also helps others out open up and most times, heal.
One of the most amazing platforms to ever come out of this country is Engage. It is a platform for ordinary and extra-ordinary individuals to share their thoughts, ideas and experiences, through music and speech. It is a library of human stories and experiences.
Engage was established in 2015 by Agatha Juma and Donald Bosire who observed the need to create a platform that gives everyday individuals an opportunity to inform, inspire and influence society through storytelling.
This year, Engage Talks turns 5. The 1st Engage held on 14th February 2015, themed “What’s Love got to do with it?”, started off this remarkable journey with 5 speakers who shared with the audience their interpretation of the theme. Since then, 28 sessions of Engage Talks have been hosted in Nairobi, 3 in Mombasa,1 in Kisumu, 1 in Kampala and 2 in the USA. The platform has hosted 177 speakers to a live audience of over 7,500 people. Our YouTube channel Engage Talks has a subscriber base of over 60,000 and over 8 million views from all around the world.
Co-founder Agatha Juma is an experienced coach and trainer on communication. As a content curator, she works with people to give a voice and platform to their stories and experiences. She is also passionate about developing and upskilling leaders and communicators. Donald is an Academy of Executive Coaches (AOEC) certified Executive Coach as well as a PROSCI certified change management practitioner and trainer. He believes that sincere engagement holds the key to building organizational as well as societal dynamics.
These are the Top 10 most viewed Engage Talks in the five years it has been in existence
1. The Westgate siege: A tale of two sisters. Annie & Sharon Nderitu
2. Rise Up – Jalang’o
3. My battle with depression-Michael Oyier
4. My Life, My Wife and Kilimani Mums-Hillary Lisimba
5. Rising from Failure-Eddy Kimani
6. My Alcoholism, My Father and I – Caroline Kagia
7. Time And Life Is Not Promised – Caroline Mutoko
8. Words That Hurt. Yet Still I Rise- Muthoni Gatheca
9. In the Meantime Theory-June Gachui
10. Life is Fair-George Ikua
Engage is held bi-monthly at the Braeburn Theatre on Gitanga road which has a seating capacity of 400 people. Each show is a 3-hour eclectic mix of memorable speeches and scintillating music performances from young and upcoming artistes. Each session has 5 speakers and they each have 9-12 minutes to make their presentation.
If you have a story you want to share, please write to Engage through their website portal https://www.engage.or.ke/participate/