Nearly 15 years ago, OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center co-founder and artistic director Shaumba-Yandje Dibinga noticed a void in the heavy calendar of holiday performances. There was nothing about Kwanzaa, nothing she could take her son to that showcased their own traditions. So Dibinga wrote one.

“Tafuta! A Young Child’s Search for the True Meaning of Kwanzaa” tells the story of a young girl who is the only person at her school celebrating Kwanzaa. She feels disconnected from and bullied by her peers for her differences, until a series of mystical events show her the true meaning of the holiday.

“It’s a predominantly young cast,” Dibinga said. Most actors are between seven and 15 years of age, and that’s intentional. “Sometimes you don’t want to hear things from adults over and over; it clicks more from your peers.”

Though the basic plot of the performance has remained the same since its launch, Dibinga has updated it with the times to stay connected to a youth audience. She brings in new, trendy choreography every year and adds slang terms like “clock it.” [The near equivalent of earlier generations’ use of “busted” or called out, though often punctuated with a hand gesture.]

“It’s evolved in that I add certain things in the world,” she said.

“When I started it there was no TikTok. Now I include that.”

Kwanzaa is the focus of the show, but Dibinga says it creates a space for all young people to share their beliefs and traditions.

She says there have been performers who celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and other holidays throughout the years. Last year a young performer taught Dibinga about the intricacies of Diwali, a Hindu celebration of lights usually held in October or November.

For Dibinga and her sister Musau, executive director at OrigiNation, this show is deeply personal. Their parents, Rev. Dibinga wa Said and Dr. Ngolela wa Kabongo, moved to Boston from the Congo and were organizers of Boston’s Kwanzaa celebrations in the 1970s. The Dibinga sisters dedicate this show to their memory.

“Tafuta!” will run for two performances on Dec. 12 at the Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center Auditorium. The 10 a.m. matinee is for Boston Public School students and other regional public and charter schools.

The 7 p.m. performance is open to the public; tickets start at $25.

Dibinga hopes that the show is joyful and empowering for all audiences, but especially for students.

“I want them to leave filled with joy and laughter,” she said. “The world is so upside down right now. I want our young people to understand loving where they come from and standing up for what they believe in.”

ON THE WEB

Learn more about the show at originationinc.org/events-1