The Moth is Back: Nairobi Stage Lights Up with “Daring to Hope”

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 10- The Moth world-renowned nonprofit dedicated to the art of live storytelling returns after a two-year wait is set to return to Nairobi for its sixth Mainstage event, hosted by Adelle Onyango On Saturday, November 1, 2025.

The Catholic University of Eastern Africa’s LRC Auditorium will host an unforgettable evening themed “Daring to Hope,” a timelyreflection as Kenyans, like many communities worldwide, grapple with economic uncertainty, socialpressures and political shifts.

For more than a quarter century, The Moth has staged over 60,000 true stories, told live without notes, by all types of people from astronauts and artists to refugees, parents and activists, its storytellers remind audiences that the human voice remains the most powerful bridge acrossdifferences.

Each Mainstage event features five voices sharing honest personal accounts filled with humour, courage and resilience, weaving together a night that is as unrepeatable as it isunforgettable.

The sixth Moth Mainstage in Nairobi will be part of 18 Mainstage events worldwide this fall, all united under a single theme for the first time in the organisation’s 28-year history with each evening featuring five storytellers who share moments of honesty, vulnerability and transformation.

While the theme ties the season together, every stage presents a distinct mix of voices and stories, creating aone-of-a-kind experience filled with humour, surprise, and the deep connection that comes from true, personal storytelling.

“Bringing every Mainstage together under the theme of daring allows us to do more than share stories; it invites a collective conversation across diverse perspectives Each night adds its own layer,and together they form a powerful portrait of courage and vulnerability,” said Sarah Haberman, CEO The Moth.

The impact of storytelling is tangible, According to research from African Leadership Magazine, dated November 4, 2024, audiences retain 65–70% of information presented as a story, comparedto just 5–10% when delivered as raw data. It’s why storytelling dissolves barriers of class, culture and geography.

It heals by offering people once silenced by grief, marginalisation, or hardship aspace to be heard, transforming pain into resilience and isolation into solidarity In Nairobi, where stories of resilience amid economic hardship and a rising cost of living shape everyday life, the stagebecomes both a mirror of society and source of strength Storytelling also educates. Facts may fade, but a story told with vulnerability lingers.

Audiences leave transformed, carrying new perspectives on what it means to be human. In a noisy world,storytelling cuts through, restoring empathy and reminding us of our shared capacity for hope Yet, authentic African stories are often underrepresented; nearly one-third of media content aboutAfrica is generated by foreign news services, and over 50% of editors admit stereotypical narrativespersist (Thomson Foundation).

Additionally, The Moth’s stage directly challenges this imbalance by amplifyingPan-African voices and allowing the African nationalities to tell their own stories.

“The Nairobi Mainstage has an unmatched energy, This year’s theme, Daring to Hope, carries special meaning In a time when the future  feels uncertain, these personal stories highlight the creativity people draw upon to face challenges, We are proud to continue to elevate Pan-African advocates and storytellers, with stories that inspireand deepen connection”, said Sarah Austin Jenness, Executive Producer of The Moth.

Through its Global Community Program, the organisation has long amplified voices from across the Global South, offering a platform where localstories reach international ears.

The Moth Global Community Program is made up of a growing alumni network of 800+ individuals from over 50 countries who have used their personal stories toadvocate and inspire. Nairobi audiences, in turn, have embraced the tradition since the city hosted its first Mainstage six years ago.