After her father’s death, she drops out of school to sell boiled maize and vegetables on the streets of Katwe. He runs a chess programme at Agape Church, a single-story rickety structure, using the game to engage and sharpen young minds. Nair’s first choice for the role of Robert Katende was Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo, who had played Martin Luther King Jr in the film, Selma, two years earlier. “I believe chess is one of the most effective tools for empowerment and teaching life principles,” says Katende. “I always tell my students that chess is life, because whatever you go through in life, you can actually find on the board.

Source: Daily Nation November 01, 2016 18:22 UTC