Pre-Texting Amidst a Revolution

On July 3, 5, 6, the Shamiri Institute (https://www.shamiri.institute ; ig. @shamiriinstitute) conducted an intensive three-day Pre-Text workshop in Nairobi, Kenya amidst massive national political unrest. Harvard student Ismail Assafi, alongside co-facilitator John Kinyua, helped train 42 young Kenyan facilitators (18-22) through texts by Frantz Fanon, Ralph Ellison, Walter Pater, and Plato. Ismail and John both facilitated the first two sessions (July 3 at the Shamiri Institute) before pushing the facilitators to break into smaller groups and facilitate sessions themselves (July 5, 6 at Savelberg Retreat Centre & the Shamiri Offices). In a country where the median age is 19.9 years old and where the protests are almost exclusively youth-led, the facilitators saw in Pre-Texts deep political potential for their country and felt the importance of Pre-Texts’ mission in the ongoing consolidation of Kenyan democracy. Facilitators also took part in a “What did we do?” meeting with Doris Sommer, Harvard University, and communicated their deep gratitude and fascination for the Pre-Texts project. Facilitators are now already in schools all around Nairobi implementing Pre-Texts with 1800+ high school students (see last two photos at Riruta Satellite School ).