Krysteen Savane, an award-winning film producer and actress, has built her life around telling stories that matter. But beyond the screen, her most powerful production might be unfolding in Kibera – a safe haven for children and young adults who find their voice, strength and future in the arts.
Savane is the founder of Annos One Fine Day, a community-based charity that offers free creative arts education to children in Kibera. Through programmes in dance, music, drama, circus, film, ballet and creative writing, the centre is nurturing a generation of young artists who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks of Kenya’s rigid academic system.
“Living in this country, if you’re not academically gifted, you have no hope,” Savane said during an interview at a recent charity art exhibition in Nairobi. “But if you’re artistically gifted, then this is an alternative. I saw first-hand how the arts can change behaviours and give people an option.”
The journey started nearly two decades ago when Savane, then a working actress, joined forces with the founder of Annos Africa, a UK charity established after the death of British musician Anno Birkin, to run arts programmes in Kenya. What began as a fun extracurricular activity soon turned into a life-changing experience for many.
“We realised the children were expressing deep personal issues through their art. They started confiding in us. We became a bridge between parents and teachers. In informal settlements, nobody is really listening to these children, but through the arts, they could finally speak.”
In 2018, Savane merged the work of Annos Africa and One Fine Day into a Kenyan-registered organisation, Annos One Fine Day. With support from German filmmaker Tom Tykwer and his wife Marie Steinmann, they built a permanent art centre in Kibera, a vibrant space filled with colour, music and movement.
Over the years, the impact has been undeniable.
“Some of our former students are now teachers with us. Two boys who went through our programme are now running their own organisations in Mathare. Others are studying film after starring in international productions. It is about giving them hope and showing them a different path,” Savane said.
Still, the road has not been without its challenges. Sustaining arts education in a low-income setting is an uphill battle, especially when funding remains uncertain.
“Funding is the biggest challenge. Nobody wants to pay salaries, yet we’re employing 20 young people in Kibera,” she explained. “If this model was replicated across other slums or rural areas in Kenya, we could actually tackle youth unemployment.”
Savane’s latest push to raise support came through during a fundraiser, an art exhibition hosted at the French Embassy in Nairobi. The event showcased powerful artwork from Kenyan creatives and opened up conversations around art, philanthropy and youth empowerment.
“This was about networking, creating awareness, and showing people what we do. I’ll be following up with everyone who attended, thanking them and asking how they can support the dream,” she said.
“I’m living on arts,” she said. “If we invest in it, we can plant seeds that grow into careers, businesses and communities of hope. Even degree holders are jobless. Creativity allows them to create their own futures.”
With over 15 years of experience in Kenya’s creative industry, including producing films like Ni Sisi, Watatu, and Supastaz, many of which have landed on global platforms like Netflix, Savane is not just shaping culture on screen, but also in the hearts of young dreamers in Kibera.
“The arts saved me, and now I see it saving others,” she said. “That’s what keeps me going.”
