by Xinhua writer Naftali Mwaura
NAIROBI, March 7 (Xinhua) -- When Melvin Sadala joined a children's orphanage at the age of eight, little did the young boy from Kenya's nomadic Maasai community anticipate it would mark the beginning of his journey to a bright new future.
Orphaned at a tender age, Sadala and his two siblings found shelter at AIC Siyiapei Children's home located at the heart of the picturesque south-western Kenyan county of Narok, thanks to the benevolence of local and overseas well-wishers.
It was in January 2018 when China's pay television company, StarTimes donated a smart television to the orphanage, paving the way for a critical turning point in the life of the bubbly youngster, currently aged 14 and in junior high school.
Sadala has earned rock-star status at Naikarra boys secondary school where he is currently admitted, thanks to his prowess in football and academic work, even as he credits StarTimes television donation for enabling him to discover his talents.
"I love football and watching sports channels in the television set donated by StarTimes has inspired me to pursue the beautiful game with passion and dedication," Sadala remarked during a recent interview with Xinhua at his school's soccer field where his prowess in dribbling was on display.
Prior to joining the children's orphanage, Sadala was under the care of materially deprived relatives in a remote outpost where trappings of modernity were rare and the only vocation awaiting young males was herding cattle.
"The StarTimes television has really changed my life. It has influenced me to pursue football as a serious vocation even as I study hard for better grades," said Sadala, adding that his peers at the orphanage have found inspiration in the educational and entertainment channels offered by the StarTimes television set, adding that some of them have vowed to become doctors, artists and footballers in the future.
Stanley Koisaba, the center manager at AIC Siyiapei Children's Home, said that having mentored Sadala for over six years, he was convinced the youngster was headed for a brighter future, thanks to his talents, discipline and valor.
According to Koisaba, Sadala used to sneak into villages adjacent to the orphanage to watch a football match prior to the StarTimes donation, attesting to the youngster's unwithering passion for the game.
At Naikarra boys secondary school, Sadala's academic prowess came to light as he answered tough oral questions with ease during a physics lesson, to the delight of his tutor and fellow students.
Victor Mokaya, a junior high school physics teacher, said he had confidence in Sadala's abilities, adding that the young boy does not shy away from spending long hours in the library and studying.
Having provided shelter to orphaned and abandoned children since its founding in 1979, Siyiapei Children's Home has forged a solid partnership with StarTimes to brighten their faces through access to satellite television.
Through this orphanage, StarTimes is able to implement the "Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages Project" which is a critical outcome of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2015.
Brenda Namayala, a 12-year-old grade four pupil sheltered at the orphanage said her singing and dancing skills have improved drastically, after watching entertainment channels at StarTimes satellite television.
"Now I can make serious dance moves and compete with my classmates and that has been possible thanks to the entertainment programs that we often tune at the StarTimes television," said Namayala.
Hosea Domezo, a 16-year-old grade eight pupil who is an aspiring singer and footballer confessed that he felt close to realizing his life's dreams, thanks to plenty of educational and entertainment programs offered by StarTimes satellite television. ■