User:Arusha poetry club1/sandbox

Arusha Poetry Club

Arusha poetry club is poetry platform based in Tanzania, it is a non government organization which aspires in boosting local poets and providing exposure to poets. Arusha poetry club also known as APC was found on 1st September, 2012 by George Kyomushula with the assistance of his mentor Charlotte Hill O’neal also known as Mama C. Moreover George was working as a volunteer at Mama C’s organization namely United African Alliance Community Centre (UAACC).

The ideal of APC was also supported by Seppo Hallavainio, the owner of an Italian restaurant that is Arusha Masaai cafe. Mr Seppo provided a venue as well as printings which included posters and adverts of the poetry club for poetry events on a weekly basis. Seppo provided such necessities for free without any charges to APC.

APC has achieved to conduct several international poetry events; Tembo Meets Garvey, African Liberation Day, China Meets Africa, Women International Day, Our leaders Our heroes and 100 thousands poets for change. Poets from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, UK, USA, China, South Africa and Austria participated in the international poetry events organized by APC. Names of the poets who participated in the international events are as follows Richard S. Mabala, Mama C, Sitawa Wafula, Kenneth P. Soundland, Upendo Makalla, Peter Mboye, Nelson Allen Junior, Wanjiku Mwaurah, Robert Echols, Vernon Cloete, Prof. Cai Tianxin, Gregory Corbin and Linda Kaoma from Badilisha poetry just to mention a few.

In 2013, APC worked along with representatives from Jane Goodall Shoots and Roots program, a program dealing with the intensification of awareness of anti poaching of chimpanzees and other animals like elephants. The alliance between the two parties resulted into the establishment of Jane Goodall Shoots and Roots branch at the UAACC. In the same year APC was sponsored by Alliance Francaise Arusha, the sponsorship included a venue, stage, fliers, sound system and lights. The venue that was provided to APC by Alliance Francaise Arusha was used in the Women International Day which featured a Kenyan poet namely Sitawa Wafula.

Furthermore APC collaborated with Badilisha poetry from South Africa, APC offcially invited Linda Kaoma as a respresentative from Badilisha poetry purposefully in giving poets from Tanzania an opportunity for their poems to be featured in the Badilisha poetry website which is badilishapoetry.com. The collaboration resulted in showcasing poems from poets in Tanzania, some of the poets who got featured were Peter Mboye, Mama C and Esther Mngodo. Moreover APC managed to initiate poetry workshops in such schools like School St Judes. On the other hand Arusha poetry club has worked with numerous music production companies within the music industry in Tanzania and beyond borders. Some of the music production companies are Mandugu digital under Akula Akwabi otherwise known as Dunga, Peace Power production, Kazawaza records under Kzee, UAACC studios and Watengwa records under Umbwa Lutuno alias Chindo. The mentioned music production companies played a vital role in creating albums by APC.

In an interview wit Imani a journalist from Daily News, George the founder of APC shared his intentions of bringing APC into existence. 

A number of stakeholders of APC have put their endless efforts in making a superb foundation for APC. Some of the stakeholders are Mambo Jambo Radio, Arusha Times Newspaper, and San Francisco Bay View newspaper, Imani I. Mani a journalist from The Daily Newspaper, Maria Sarungi Tsehai, and Elishilia D. Kaaya from AICC. Other stakeholders include Gloria D. Gonsalves, Grace Aswile, JCB and Kindo Emmanuel just to mention a few. APC appreciates the efforts done by Gonsalves Mpili and Judith Mwaya in writing and editing this article.

Currently APC has a platform known as arushapoetryclub.wordpress.com in which poets can send over their poems through arushapoetryclub1@gmail.com and the poems will be posted by the APC editing team.