Youth quiz to explore global roots
by Sam Henderson · Otago Daily Times Online NewsA local boy is crafting a clever quiz to celebrate cultural connections.
Ajax Banstola, 12, is preparing to record a production called Factbeast Country Challenge.
The programme is a game show exploring what children know about other nations, based on information from youth who have overseas backgrounds but now live in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
Ajax is no stranger to broadcasting as the creator and presenter of the Factbeast podcast on OAR FM.
The new endeavour builds on his experience and aims to help tamariki feel proud of their origins.
"Rangatahi from all around will come and they will explain their home country," Ajax said.
The idea was sparked while he was spending time with friends in the city centre.
"I was sitting with my friends, we were in town, we were just chilling ... I was like, oh so you were born in Syria, is that right?
"And they were like yes ... and then I asked them, what things do you like about Syria? And unfortunately they could not answer."
"This got me thinking that there are more of these tamariki and rangatahi around the community who don’t know much about their born country.
"This is why this Factbeast Country Challenge was brought to life, so that the rangatahi from around Dunedin could come and express themselves and their home country."
Each episode features an "ambassador" providing facts about a nation while Ajax and a contestant guess the location.
"To start off round one they will share five facts and then me and the other rangatahi will have to write it down to see if we can guess what country it is."
There will then be a facts or fiction round to add to the entertainment.
"It is kind of like two truths and a lie.
"They will share two truths about their country, two facts that are true and one false fact.
"At the end the ambassador will reveal the country.
"There will be a slideshow presented and the country’s flag will come up with the country’s name and then we will know if we got it right or not."
Ajax thanked his father, Dr Ashik Banstola, for being his mentor.
"He does all the behind the scenes work as in fact checking and giving me a few better ideas on what I should do and how I should do the project."
The Otago Community Trust has provided $3400 from its Tamariki and Rangatahi Capability Fund to support the initiative.
The grant will assist with costs such as recording the episodes at the Allied Productions studio in Stuart St.
About 15 episodes are planned and when completed, the series will be hosted on his YouTube channel — Factbeast with Ajax.
"A very cool thing is that this is the first of its kind in all of New Zealand, so I’m very thrilled to see how this goes."
Ajax is searching for tamariki and rangatahi from a range of backgrounds to join his Factbeast Country Challenge.
Young people who want to explore their heritage by sharing facts about their birth country or who want to have fun as a contestant can email ajax.banstola@gmail.com for more information.