Champoetry in partnership with the Tekki-Fii recently organized an electrifying, satisfying and uplifting summer poetry events. The Words of Wonder featured various iconic poets such as Omar ‘Champion’ Cham, Jainaba Touray, Cherno Gaye and Bintou Sanneh from 16th July to 13th August 2022.
The project was implemented at Kanifing, Banjul, Prochial, and Gambia College halls and the University of The Gambia (UTG) Auditorium.
Omar ‘Champion’ Cham, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Champoetry said young people have great potentials and thus, the notion of traveling for greener pasture is just a myth.
“We can all make it here and therefore encourage every young poet to grab the microphone and speak up your mind because this is where it started for everyone. Live your dream and use your voice to make a change. This is a collective commitment towards making poetry stronger in The Gambia and beyond,” he stated.
Isatou Jallow, a representative of the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) under the Tekki-Fii Program noted that young people have great potentials and thus should not waste their lives.
She added that the Tekki-Fii Program has proven that youth can all make it here through their various interventions.
Alagie Jarju, executive director of the National Youth Council said “If you asked me 10 years ago that young people will pay transport to travel kilometers just to listen to poetry I would have denied. This is a shift in the art industry and poetry is definitely making waves. Listen to message, spread the message, inspire your fellow young people and make a change.”
The slogan “We can all make it here” performances featured drama, spoken words, music and more.
The Mighty Stars performed on illegal migration, addressing the challenges and available opportunities towards realizing the Tekki-Fii slogan - “we can all make it here”.
The summer poetry event targeted youth, women, children, persons with disabilities, and other relevant stakeholdes.
The event created room for intergenerational conversations and promoted interactions between different age groups.
The objective was to enable poets in The Gambia to spark conversations on irregular migration, youth unemployment and amplify information on available opportunities using influential poets to drive the message home.
