The first of its kind, this authentic African children’s programme aims to encourage viewers to engage in conservation of Africa’s vast biodiversity and natural resources. Led by the programme’s goals to inspire curiosity, ignite positive behaviour change and nurture environmental champions, studio hosts Mysha Hodson (15), Marita Lucas (14), Shanah Manjeru (16), Railey Mwai (12) and Adarsh Nagda (14) commence each episode in the Sayari Basecamp where a gigantic tree, with a textured trunk named Funzi imparts knowledge about the environment and gives the team various challenges on which to embark.
TEAM SAYARI- New episodes Saturdays 12.00
THE TEAM
Marita Nyambura Lucas
Marita, who is a lively 12-year-old, is in sixth grade and lives with her family in Nairobi, Kenya. This young lady has a passion for environmental conservation and has taken part in activities that promote healthy living, such as cleaning up a local market.
She is creative and artistic and enjoys expressing herself in music, drawing and painting. On weekends, she likes to cook, garden, or travel to new places.
Soccer is her favourite sport to watch, and she often gets to play it with her friends. Marita's vibrant energy spreads to everyone around her. She is also determined and gives her all to any task assigned to her.
Mysha Hodson
Mysha is a 13-year-old girl who lives with her family in Nairobi, Kenya. She is in Year 9 and studies through the British Curriculum school system. She is passionate about environmental conservation, animal welfare and wildlife photography.
When she was 8 years old, Mysha made a video campaigning for the rights of street dogs and sent it to the office of the President of Rwanda. She has also visited and helped at the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA), as well as assisting with rescues – a cause very dear to her.
She has climbed Mount Kenya and been involved in the Nyungwe Forest Marathon in Rwanda. Her favourite place to tour is the Maasai Mara, with hyenas being her favourite animal. Additionally, the plight of the oceans and the welfare of Giant Sea Turtles are causes she is keenly interested in.
Mysha is calm & analytical. On weekends, she enjoys playing with her dog and visiting the local organic farmer’s market. When Mysha grows up, she would love to be a conservationist.
Railey Mugo Mwai
Railey is 11 years old and lives with his family in Nairobi, Kenya. He is in sixth grade at a Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) school.
He is passionate about film production and recently attended the Kalasha International Film and TV Market in Nairobi. At the film market, he had a great time meeting and interacting with different directors of TV shows and movies.
Railey cares about animals and the well-being of the environment. He frequently volunteers to clean up his neighbourhood by picking up trash.
Whenever he has the opportunity, Railey enjoys making people laugh. He is witty and mischievous, and has a warm, friendly presence. In his spare time, he likes gaming and playing chess.
Shanah Manjeru
Fourteen-year-old Shanah lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with her family and is in eighth grade at a Kenyan Curriculum school.
Shanah loves singing and is building a successful musical career. Having already released ten songs, she inspires many people with her gifts and talents.
Shanah has won several awards. In 2018, she took first place at the Kenya Music Festival. In 2021, at only 13 years old, she became the youngest-ever winner of the All Africa Music Award, winning the Best Female Artist in African Inspirational Music. She was recently named as one of the top 100 child prodigies worldwide and received the Global Child Prodigy Award 2022. She was featured by Kenyans.co.ke as part of Top 100 Kenyans in 2021.
For more than four years, Shanah hosted Big Minds Show, a weekly children’s show that airs on Kenya’s national broadcaster. Apart from singing, Shanah loves the outdoors and exploring nature. She has a cheerful personality and makes decisions with confidence.
Adarsh Nagda
Adarsh is a 13-year-old boy who lives with his family in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a keen environmentalist and photographer who spends his free time exploring national parks and nature.
As a member of the Friends of Nairobi National Park (FONNAP), Adarsh takes part in the annual treasure hunt, which he won in 2020. This involves finding a list of selected species as "treasure", with rarer species receiving more treasure points if spotted.
Adarsh has a YouTube channel with more than 400 subscribers and an Instagram account with 10 000 followers. There, he documents his adventures and showcases his photos as he visits parks throughout Kenya. His most popular video features lions feasting on a baby giraffe in Nairobi National Park.
He is a detail-orientated boy whose understanding of nature is truly remarkable.
EPISODES
- Saturday, March 4, 2023 Ep 11 Speed From the cheetah to the tortoise, Team Sayari learn about how animals are built for speed and how this helps them survive in the wild.
- Saturday, March 11, 2023 Ep 14 Snakes! Team Sayari discover that the more you learn about snakes the more you learn they are incredible creatures worthy of our respect and protection.
- Saturday, March 18, 2023 Ep 15 Life Under the Sea Bursting with wildlife and filled with mysteries to be solved, Team Sayari learn that our oceans are one of the most amazing habitats on Earth, that need to be protected.
- Saturday, March 25, 2023 Ep 13 Animal Highways Team Sayari discovers the need to provide safe corridors or passages for wildlife which have be disconnected from their natural habitats.
- Saturday, April 1, 2023 Ep 19 Nocturnal From night vision, to an incredible sense of smell, Team Sayari investigate what special features and traits nocturnal animals have in order to roam at night so effectively.
- Saturday, April 8, 2023 Ep 10 Sustainability Team Sayari learns about the small changes we can make to help look after our planet better. These small changes done by many individuals, can help protect wildlife, plants, and natural resources that are important for our own survival.
- Saturday, April 15, 2023 Ep 12 Wildlife in the City Team Sayari investigates the challenges of human-wildlife conflict and learn how some communities have found some resolutions to the increased competition for space and resources.
- Saturday, April 22, 2023 Ep 20 Most Intelligent Team Sayari investigates the challenges of human-wildlife conflict and learn how some communities have found some resolutions to the increased competition for space and resources.
- Saturday, April 29, 2023 Ep 17 Migration From South Africa to Kenya, by land and by sea, Team Sayari investigate some of the greatest wildlife migrations on the African continent.
- Saturday, May 6, 2023 Ep 16 Changing the Story Team Sayari meet with environmentalists and wildlife experts who are changing the story around conservation and protecting the continent.
