| Etiquette classes for teenagers |
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Parents with teenagers can now have their kids learn how to carry themselves, thanks to Public Image Africa, now teaching etiquette classes known as finishing school that impart traditional values to the young generation.
Finishing school was an institution in the earlier part of the last century, where girls were taught skills such as how to walk, dance, dine and communicate to allow them to get good husbands. However, these values still apply to the young people of today, says Derek Bbanga, an etiquette coach and managing director of Public Image Africa, because “good manners are ageless, classless and priceless.” “I call them good old fashioned values,” he says. Derek started Public Image Africa two years ago, when he ran into Diana Mather who had been running a finishing school in the UK. Diana, who is a former news anchor with the BBC and founder of Public Image UK, taught him before he established the school in Kenya. Derek, who has worked in the UK, France, Finland and USA, says he started the company because he found “there was a gap” as nobody was doing it, especially a man, and he wanted to impart the skills into the young people. Soft skills are important and the first impression should always be a positive one. This is the number one criteria for winning an interview, says Derek, and research has shown that managers use it to hire and promote. There is no ideal age for enrolling for the etiquette classes. And although Public Image Africa mostly deals with corporate clients, Derek says he has trained kids as young as eight years, teenagers, as well as recent graduates. Skills taught in finishing schools include posture, social manners, and networking, dining and communication skills. In this, having a good image is important, says Derek, because it reflects who we are as a nation and as individuals. ‘If we can raise people's level of behaviour by increasing their awareness of others, as well as giving confidence and self esteem, we may lessen hostility and aggression and who knows the world might become a happier place,’ he says. With regards to teenagers, Derek says ‘there is a lot of work to be done’ in terms of communication skills, as most spend time on Facebook, texting on cellphones and playing computer games and therefore have no social life. Schools also concentrate mostly on academics and most people do not even know how to write a thank you note. Training for teenagers is usually a half day session, as a foundation, covering all issues of etiquette including deportment, social skills, formal etiquette, communication skills, dressing and dining. The teenager sessions are usually group sessions for a minimum of 8-10 teens, but after the foundation session, one can come back for specialized sessions to focus on a certain area. Ninety percent of the session is role play and practical, and involves the trainees being ‘up and moving’, walking while balancing a book on their head or learning how to hold a knife and fork correctly; with pre and post camera recordings for them to see the change. For recent graduates, the training gives them a hand in joining the workforce and in thriving socially. Trainees also fill a feedback form at the end of training, and Derek says parents also usually come back with “informal feedback”. However, one does not stop learning on etiquette, says Derek, as this is a lifelong and forever process; even he is still learning. Derek is the lead facilitator of the etiquette classes, but sometimes, on gauging a group, he may bring in other facilitators. The classes are usually a mixture of both boys and girls, as both need life skills. For more information contact Derek on 0724 416442 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Written by Bob Koigi and Rose Muragu for African Laughter |
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