Dar es Salaam, Friday 7 October 2016
Friday, 7 October 2016 saw the annual World Children’s Poetry Day (WoChiPoDa) celebrations taking place a second time in Tanzania. The event took place at Soma Book Cafe, Dar es Salaam. It was organised by poet Gonsalves Mpili and with support from a dedicated organising committee.
Thirty three students from Maktaba Primary School, Chang’ombe Primary School, Chang’ombe Secondary School and two teachers took part to the day’s fun happenings. Gracing the event was Nahida Esmail, a Tanzanian author, who read out her book to the children.
The celebration was brightened with performers and a mascot. Music and drawing sessions added more giggles to the event. Poems were written, recited and judged. The poem “Gazeti” emerged to be the best poem of all.
Poem 1: Gazeti
Gazeti zuri ni jambo leo,
Ukilisoma unapata mambo ya leo,
Na kama unabisha soma leo.
Poem 2: No Title
Pundamilia ana rangi mbili,
Alikuwa na kichwa na kiwili wili,
Anaweza kula pilipili,
Alipigwa na tumbili.
Chakula kitamu ni ndizi,
Unaweza kula na mkizi,
Unaweza kunywa na mchuzi,
Bila kizuizi.
Ua zuri ni waridi,
Ustawi wakati wa baridi,
Huendana na Mwanaidi,
Hupatikana katika mstari wa gridi.
And there was a young and not shy participant, who energised everyone with his beautiful piece of Swahili spoken word.
Rosemary
October 20, 2016 - 12:50 pm ·Children will always be children – fun loving people. I enjoyed the article and noting the big strides that these children are taking. A stitch in time saves nine.
fritz
October 23, 2016 - 7:59 pm ·we need such initiatives to develop the creativity of our young artists.”Rome was not built in a day”