By George Otieno
Moi Girls Kadzodzo Secondary School Principal Phanice Achieng Mrima pursued a teaching career, but her destiny is leading elsewhere.
Mrima has identified her singing knack and is on the mission to turn what was once a dream into reality.
We met the principal in an event in Kilifi organized by a group termed Talent Factory to provide Kilifi residents with a platform to showcase, identify and nurture their talent where she had come, upon accepting invitation from Mr. Malenga Lugo, SBS FM radio presenter based in Kilifi town, to perform one of her songs.
She said it was the first event she ever took part in since the launch of her music journey two years back and was excited and glad to have had the opportunity to bless the attendants and stir up upcoming talent in the industry.
Other than her personal singing dream, Mrs Mrima has since 2017 been taking part in her school’s music festivals competitions through training learners, mentoring them and breathing life into their dreams, guiding them up to the highest level of the competitions.
“I love singing. I have been following God from an early age and I am an ordained servant of God, thus my interest in singing gospel songs and spreading His word and love. I am also a keen reader of God’s word,” she stated passionately.
In the year 2020 when Covid-19 hit the country, Mrs. Mrima, together with other colleagues who found themselves in school when learners were home following the government’s directive that they stay back, found themselves spending most of their time praying and singing for the nation and come the month of June same year, she realized she could actually do it as a profession.
Asked whether she was able to confidently and effectively juggle her teaching career, her role as a principal, her new found singing abilities and her family, the principal, who has served at the girls’ school for seven years said she was able to divide her time efficiently, balancing on each area to be able to attend to all of them.
She hinted that she plans herself accordingly to the point of identifying and grooming her students who have singing talents or those interested in it and arranging, through the help of her current producer, to have them record their own songs.
“Various students have already recorded their own songs. There are those with even up to three songs and we expect this number to go up as we keep nurturing gifts and learners’ abilities outsides classwork,” she emphasized.
Her children, she said, are not left behind. Her first daughter who is pursuing law at Kabarak University is also a gospel singer with three songs already recorded and found in YouTube.
Her second and last-born sons of grade three and two respectively both have albums of seven and six songs respectively.
