Hello, and thank you for entering.
Read this guide together; it covers the theme, topic choices, recording rules, review process, and post-submission steps. The topic is the child's; parents and guardians can ask questions, assist with ideas, listen to practice runs, and handle recording and uploading. The final message must be the child's own.
At a glance
One entry and one topic per child - Approximately 2-4 minutes, depending on age - Three competition rounds - Free entry
What are we asking young people to do?
We invite Kenyan children and teenagers to speak to adults about their experiences growing up. Young people notice things that adults often overlook, such as classroom issues, inclusivity, community safety, and prospects. The aim is self-expression and being heard - sharing observations, questioning norms, highlighting problems, celebrating values, or encouraging change. At Sprout, we see children as people who understand a great deal and deserve a serious audience.
The theme
The Kenya We Want
Underneath it sits a second line that matters just as much: Young People Are Watching You.
Every speech is addressed to adults. The child decides what adults need to notice, understand, remember, or reconsider. The message may be hopeful, challenging, reflective, appreciative, or a combination of these.
A speech may challenge corruption, unsafe systems, unfairness, environmental damage, or failures in education and healthcare. It may not attack or campaign for a named person, political party, school, organization, community, or religion. This protects the child and keeps the championship nonpartisan.
Choosing a topic
Each age group has eight topics to choose from. Pick one you genuinely want to discuss. The title provides a subject, but it does not limit your message. You have the freedom to guide your speech, share your insights, and reach your own conclusion. The examples are simply suggestions, not a mandatory list. You are not required to use all of them.
You may speak in English, Kiswahili, your mother tongue, or a natural combination of languages. Use the language that helps you express your message most honestly and clearly.
Speech topics
Sprout Spark
Ages 6-9 - Aim for 2 minutes - accepted up to 2 minutes 15 seconds
Great speeches at this age often start with a small, genuine detail: a person, place, moment, question, or experience you recall. You do not need to describe the entire country. Instead, help the adult listeners see one part of it through your perspective.
- 01
My Kenya
What does Kenya look, sound, or feel like to you?
You can introduce adults to a part of Kenya that you know well. For example, you might speak about your neighborhood, the journey to school, a person you meet, a family tradition, a language, a favorite place, or something you see every day. The speech can celebrate something you love, draw attention to something adults may no longer notice, or share something you hope will be different as you grow.
- 02
Our Classroom
What is it really like to learn in your classroom?
You might speak about something that makes learning enjoyable or something that makes it harder. For example, you can talk about books, desks, teachers, friendships, noise, play, class size, technology, encouragement, or how children treat one another. The speech may help adults understand what a good day in class feels like and what could make learning better for more children. You do not need to name your school, teacher, or classmates.
- 03
Enough to Eat
What happens when a child has to learn, play, or grow without enough food?
You can help adults think about how hunger may affect a child's energy, concentration, health, feelings, or school day. You might also share your ideas about how families, schools, communities, or leaders can help. You do not have to tell a private story about yourself or another child. You can speak as someone who has noticed the problem and wants adults to care about it.
- 04
Feeling Safe
What helps a child feel protected, heard, and cared for?
You might speak about safety at home, at school, on the road, online, while playing, or when asking an adult for help. You can describe the people, actions, or surroundings that make children feel secure. The speech may also help adults understand how they can make children feel safer. You do not need to share a painful or private experience.
- 05
Our Land
Is there a part of nature that you would like adults to notice and protect?
For example, you might speak about a tree, river, forest, field, animal, playground, or open space that matters to you. You can describe what you love about it, what may be happening to it, and why caring for it matters. The speech can invite adults to look after one place, change one habit, or leave a healthier environment for children.
- 06
All of Us
What can adults learn from the way children make friends, play, and learn together?
You might speak about friendship among children from different communities, religions, languages, abilities, or backgrounds. You can share a moment when someone was welcomed, included, or treated kindly. The speech may show adults what becomes possible when people respect their differences without allowing those differences to divide them.
- 07
Listen to Us
What do children notice that adults sometimes miss?
It could be something at home, at school, in your neighborhood, online, or in the way adults make decisions. You might speak about a concern adults overlook, an idea children have, or something you wish grown-ups would ask about more often. The speech is your opportunity to say: this is what I see, this is why it matters to me, and this is what I wish adults understood.
- 08
When I Grow Up
What kind of Kenya do you hope to live in when you are older?
You might imagine a Kenya where children are safer, schools are better, people are kinder, nature is protected, healthcare is available, or everyone is treated fairly. The speech can describe that future and tell adults what they can begin doing today to help create it. You may also share the part you hope to play as you grow.
Teen Titans
Ages 10-13 - Aim for 3 minutes - accepted up to 3 minutes 15 seconds
At this age, you may already have strong opinions about what you see around you. These topics give you room to explore one issue, explain what you think about it, and help adults understand your point of view.
- 01
The Kenya I See
What does Kenya look like from where you stand?
You can focus on one part of life in Kenya that you have noticed. For example, you might speak about your community, school, opportunities, public spaces, the environment, how people treat one another, or the differences between people's lives. The speech may celebrate something, question something, or do both. Its direction depends on what you see and what you want adults to understand about it.
- 02
Our Right to Learn
What does the right to education mean in the everyday life of a child?
Consider exploring what helps children learn and what hinders them. For example, you can speak about access to school, teachers, books, class size, technology, hunger, safety, disability support, or whether education prepares children for life. The speech can help adults understand what meaningful learning looks like to you and where you believe greater effort is needed.
- 03
Our Health
What do adults need to understand about children's health?
You can choose one area, such as nutrition, exercise, mental health, sanitation, disability support, access to treatment, or health education. The speech may explain how the issue affects children, what adults sometimes misunderstand, and what better care could look like. You can speak about the wider issue without sharing anyone's private medical information.
- 04
Not Safe Enough
Where or when are children not receiving the protection they need?
You might consider safety at school, at home, on the road, online, in public spaces, or when a child asks an adult for help. The speech can explore why some dangers are ignored and what genuine protection would look like. You can speak for children who need adults to notice and act without identifying anyone or sharing a personal traumatic experience.
- 05
What We Are Doing to Our Land
What environmental damage have you noticed, and what do you want adults to understand about it?
For example, you might discuss trash, polluted rivers, dirty air, disappearing trees, flooding, drought, damaged public spaces, or careless use of resources. The speech can connect people's choices with what is happening to the environment. It may also offer insight into what families, communities, businesses, or leaders can do differently.
- 06
More Than Our Tribes
What would Kenya look like if people valued one another beyond tribal identity?
You might explore the difference between being proud of a culture and using identity to exclude, distrust, or mistreat others. You can speak about friendship, fairness, leadership, opportunity, or what Kenyans have in common. The speech may help adults consider what tribal division costs the country and what could matter more when people make decisions about one another.
- 07
Small Corruptions
Can large corruption begin with small dishonest choices?
You might explore everyday actions such as cheating, bribing, lying for an advantage, taking something that belongs to others, misusing responsibility, or excusing dishonesty when it benefits us. The speech can help adults see how small choices shape families, schools, workplaces, and eventually the country. You may also consider what choosing integrity looks like in ordinary life.
- 08
We Are Not Too Young
What do adults miss when they assume children are too young to have meaningful ideas?
You can speak about an issue young people understand, a contribution children can make, or a decision in which their views deserve to be heard. You might also explore the difference between being listened to and being allowed to decide everything. The speech can show adults how young people can contribute while still learning from adult experience and guidance.
Sprout Stars
Ages 14-17 - Aim for 4 minutes - accepted up to 4 minutes 15 seconds
These topics invite you to take a position and speak directly to adults about the country your generation is inheriting. You do not need to cover every part of a national issue. You may develop one strong idea, explain your reasoning, and leave your audience with something worth considering.
- 01
The Kenya We Were Promised
Where do you see a gap between Kenya's promises and the reality young people experience?
You might explore a promise involving equality, education, justice, opportunity, dignity, safety, healthcare, or accountable leadership. The speech can examine what the promise means, where reality falls short, and how the gap affects young people. You may also offer your view of what closing that gap would require.
- 02
What Education Owes Us
What is education meant to prepare your generation for?
Consider employment, citizenship, critical thinking, character, creativity, communication, financial capability, technology, mental well-being, or independent adult life. The speech can recognize what education already provides while examining something important that may be missing. You are free to argue for a different understanding of what successful education ought to achieve.
- 03
Whose Health Counts
Does every person's health receive the same attention, urgency, and care?
You might explore how factors such as income, location, disability, age, gender, mental health, facilities, and waiting times affect access to treatment. The speech can examine whose needs are prioritized, who may be left waiting, and what equal care could mean in practice. If you use statistics, cite the source of the information.
- 04
Children Are Not Safe
Where are the systems intended to protect children failing?
You might focus on violence, neglect, exploitation, online harm, unsafe institutions, ignored warning signs, or what happens when children report a concern. The speech can ask difficult questions about adult and institutional responsibility. It may also describe what stronger protection, better listening, or meaningful accountability could look like. You can advocate for affected children without identifying them or sharing private trauma.
- 05
What We Inherit
What is today's adult generation handing over to yours?
You could explore the environment, public debt, institutions, employment, technology, social divisions, civic values, natural resources, or other inheritances that will shape your future. The speech may question what your generation is expected to accept, identify what needs to change, or explain what young people intend to do with what they inherit.
- 06
The Line Between Us
What divides Kenyans, and what does that division cost us?
You might explore ethnicity, social class, religion, geography, language, age, disability, opportunity, or another boundary between people. The speech can take a position on whether the division is natural, created, useful, unfair, or changeable. You may also consider a different perspective before explaining where you stand.
- 07
The Cost of Corruption
What does corruption take from ordinary people?
You might focus on its effect on education, healthcare, roads, employment, safety, public services, trust, or opportunities available to young people. The speech can trace corruption beyond stolen money to the real experiences it creates. It may also examine why dishonesty is tolerated and what integrity would require from citizens and institutions. Discuss the issue without naming or accusing individuals.
- 08
Now Watch Us
What would you say to adults who doubt your generation?
You might respond to claims that young people are distracted, entitled, careless, unprepared, or unwilling to work. You can challenge those assumptions, acknowledge where your generation can improve, and describe what young people can contribute. The speech may be hopeful, challenging, reflective, or bold. Above all, it is an opportunity to tell adults who your generation is and what you intend to do with your place in Kenya.
Entry Rules
Who can enter?
Any child aged 6 to 17 living in Kenya may enter through a parent or guardian. Public school, private school, homeschooling, and county of residence do not affect eligibility.
The child's age on September 28, 2026 - the audition closing date - determines the category. For example, a child who turns 10 in October competes in Sprout Spark.
Only one entry is accepted per child. If two entries are received, the first completed submission will be retained, and the family will be contacted.
Speech length
| Age group | Ages | Aim for | Maximum accepted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprout Spark | 6-9 | 2 minutes | 2 minutes 15 seconds |
| Teen Titans | 10-13 | 3 minutes | 3 minutes 15 seconds |
| Sprout Stars | 14-17 | 4 minutes | 4 minutes 15 seconds |
A video that exceeds the maximum will be returned with a request to shorten and resubmit it before auditions close. A returned entry is not a penalty.
Recording the audition
- A phone recording is completely acceptable.
- Record the speech in one continuous take. Do not add cuts, edits, background music, filters, captions, or other material afterward.
- Landscape is preferred, although portrait video is accepted.
- Use a quiet place, light the speaker's face, and frame the child approximately from the waist up.
- Check the background before recording. Anything visible may appear online if the speech is published.
- Do not use costumes, props, posters, slides, or visual aids. The focus is the child and the message.
- Children aged 6-9 may read from a page. Older children are encouraged to speak without reading, although brief notes in hand are acceptable.
- Record as many practice versions as needed and submit the one the child is happiest to share.
Language, originality, and help from adults
The speech may be delivered in English, Kiswahili, the child's mother tongue, or a natural combination of languages. The chosen language does not make an entry more or less competitive. Judges focus on the child's communication within the language used.
The ideas and words must be the child's own. Parents, guardians, teachers, and coaches may help the child understand the topics, ask questions, organize ideas, practice delivery, manage time, hold the camera, and complete the upload.
They may not write the speech, provide lines for the child to memorize, tell the child what opinion to express, or use an AI tool to generate the speech. Copied, adult-written, or AI-written speeches are not accepted.
Keeping Every Child Safe
We want children to speak honestly about Kenya without being drawn into political campaigning, personal attacks, public accusations, or the exposure of private experiences. A speech containing the following will not be published:
- The name of a politician, political party, candidate, or public official, whether the reference praises or criticizes that person or group.
- Instructions about how people should vote, campaign messages, or discussion of an election.
- Language that sets one community, tribe, county, religion, or language against another.
- An attack or accusation directed at a named person, school, business, institution, or organization.
- Numbers or statistics presented as fact without identifying the source.
- Information that identifies another child or reveals private family, health, safety, or financial information.
- Graphic, frightening, or violent content, or language unsuitable for a child-focused public platform.
- Copied words, including a speech memorized from the internet, television, another competitor, or any other source.
A child can argue that Kenya needs greater fairness, integrity, safety, or accountability without identifying a person as the cause. A child may refer to an office or institution in general - for example, "leaders," "county governments," or "schools" - while keeping the focus on the issue and the message.
Speaking about difficult subjects
Some topics touch on genuine difficulty, including hunger, violence, neglect, exploitation, unsafe environments, and families under strain. The child may speak as someone who has noticed, cares, and wants adults to respond. The audition video is not the place to disclose the child's own trauma or another person's private experience.
If a child has experienced harm, please keep identifying or traumatic details out of the video. The Sprout team may contact the parent or guardian if a submission raises a child-safety concern.
Child safety support
Childline Kenya is available free of charge on 116, day or night, if you or your child needs to speak with someone about a child's safety.
What happens after submission?
The system first processes the uploaded video. A Sprout compliance reviewer then watches the private recording, checks the selected topic and consent information, and makes one of the following decisions:
| Decision | What it means |
|---|---|
| Publish | The entry meets the publication rules. It may appear on the public Wall of Speeches and then proceed to judging. |
| Return | A correctable issue - such as length, sound, or framing - needs attention. The family receives a reason and may resubmit before auditions close. |
| Do not publish | The entry cannot be accepted, usually because of authorship, copied content, safety, political content, or an attack on a person or community. |
| Flag | The entry needs additional internal review before a final publication decision is made. |
Nothing is published automatically. Compliance review and judging are separate processes: publication does not mean a speech has already been scored, and judging does not replace the safety review.
Before You Send the Video
Read through this checklist together:
- The topic comes from the correct age group and was chosen with the child.
- The child is speaking to an adult audience and expressing a message that matters to them.
- The words and ideas are the child's own - not written by an adult, copied, or generated by AI.
- The speech is within the time limit for the age group.
- The video is one continuous take with no editing, music, filters, slides, or props.
- The background contains nothing the family would prefer to keep private.
- The speech does not name politicians, parties, officials, schools, organizations, individuals, or communities in praise or criticism.
- Statistics, if used, include a source.
- The child has watched the recording and is happy for the public to see it.
- The parent or guardian has read and agreed to the entry and publication consent.
Questions?
hello@sprouts.co.ke - +254 795 75 66 88
Sprout Life Skills, Kilimani, Nairobi - Childline Kenya: 116