Category: Current Updates

CHILDRE THRIVE UNDER BABISHAI POETRICKS-READ ABOUT OUR EASTER HOLIDAY PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN

Babishai Poetricks is an adventure toolkit that encourages children to maximise their creative potential using poetry, creative illustrations, movement and sound and inter-personal communication.

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This programme, under the e Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation, was launched on June 16th 2015, on The day of The African Child, to promote new spaces for children aged 4 to 12. Having visited and facilitated in many primary schools in Uganda, the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation noted a significant lack of African poetry for children. Babishai Poetricks is a toolkit divided into eleven adventures that emphasizes the use of the five human senses as a wholesome way of describing and articulating, builds on team-work and introspection to develop children individually and with others.

The busiest times are during the holidays. Over the Easter Weekend, Friday, Saturday and Monday, there were nine children who underwent the training. Ranging from 3 to 10, we articulated the five senses, compared colors to emotions, improvised with kites to determine the power of wind and had an impromptu spelling bee. This coupled with story-telling and composing their own poems, gave the children a real Babishai experience.

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During the Babishai Poetry Festival which will take place from 24-2 August 2016, we will have an entire day for primary school children to perform in poetry and theater and hold a pan discussion, presenting their case for poetry.

We partner it hike-minded organizations like Malaika Educare, which is one of the largest mobile children’s libraries in Africa. With over on thousand children’s books for children in various towns, they ably deliver books to individual homes on a weekly basis.

This year on June 16th, The Day of The African Child, we will launch the Babishai Poetricks Leadership Academy for African Children Living in Africa. The main pillar of this academy is Creative Leadership Through Creative Readership. The target is African children from 4 to 12, living in Africa. We will be using the Babishai Poetricks toolkit, which is a proven workable creative method of nurturing the leaders that Uganda and Africa need.

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The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation, founded by Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva, a writer editor, poet, long-distance swimmer, actress and leadership trainer, coordinates annual poetry competitions for Africans. This year, they introduced the Haiku competition, dubbed Babishaiku, they publish poetry by Africans, coordinate creative children’s programs, business programs, annual poetry festivals and poetry mentorship programs.

This year in June, Babishai is leading a team of creative explorers to the foothills of Mt. Rwenzori to hold a poetry session, launch a poetry collection and have a wide barbeque spread. Poetry on The Mountain is another annual event which Babishai will share with her audiences and friends.

Babishai Participates in Kampala International School Uganda Poetry Slam

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When poetry escapes through the minds and hearts of children,  there is no doubt that the universe has made a great investment. Early reading inspires creativity.

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Courtesy photo/Kampala International School Uganda

Babishai Poetry Foundation Director,  Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva and Open Mic Director Shiraz Murray witnessed a cocktail of indescribably brilliant poetry at the Kampala International School Uganda Poetry event held in early November.

kisu-sh   Nambozo Nsengiyunva 2016

From Years 7 to 9,  the children captivated the wide-eyed audience for over two hours. Being part of a competition did not deter the pupils from adorning themselves in the most glorious poetry costumes possible.

Topics ranged from deep seated society issues like cruelty to animals,  racism and poverty.  With unexpected word twists,  creative imagery and unapologetic realities,  the children were courageous and explored those themes affecting them. This proved that U. S elections,  race relations and political attitudes affected them as much as everyone else.

It was difficult as the judges selected winners and no surprise that there were several ties. The Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation,  through the children’s literary program,  Babishai Poetricks,  identifies with school poetry programs like this to maximize a child’s potential through exploration of poetic devices.

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Babishai Poetricks launch at Big Bear Kindergarten, 2015

In 2017,  Babishai will conduct another primary school poetry competition after an extremely successful one this year. They will also continue with their creative literary outreaches in children.

Babishai Poetricks Creative Children’s Christmas party

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The Babishai  Poetricks team held their first children’s Christmas party under the theme of Children, Creativity and African Christmas. Held on 18th December 2015 in Mpererwe, the residence of Mrs. Betty Mugoya, a horticulturalist, about ten children gathered for five hours of poetry and party.

The three Poetricks members, Nambozo Daniellorah, Robert Ssempande and Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva started with Babishai Poetricks, doing rhyming schemes, matching colours to moods, word play, poetry and sound and anecdotes.

poetricks 2After that, the event stretched to animal imitations, chain stories, opening crackers and making very long paper chains of about 25 yards.

 

It was delightful to see the children expand their imaginations. They joined in pairs and raced around the garden as part of a rhyming scheme game, made silly faces to bring out confidence and character and much more. We ended by sharing African based Christmas poems and holding a large special children’s barbeque. Our next party will be held as an Easter creative for children on April 2nd.

 

Babishai Poetricks holiday session.

During the first week of the Kampala children’s Christmas holiday December 2015, Robert Ssempande and Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva spent three days engaging children in Babishai Poetricks. With six children in total, they began by outling their faces, including features like hair, earrings, teeth and so on. From each picture, the children commented on their friend’s photos, talking about the mood depicted, friendliness,  uniqueness of facial features, thus appreciating one another’s differences.

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Next, was matching colours to moods which interestingly brought varied and unexpected responses, proving once again the under-estimated intelligence of children and their power of observation. Using the five senses of sight, hearing, feeling, smelling and tasting, the children navigated poetic devices and eventually composed poems about their favourite animals, which they themselves named and created stories from.