peace, love, soccer, and Malawi!

Malawian poem selected for World Cup billboards to promote peace

By Nyasa Times

Published: February 4, 2010

A poem written by Malawi’s fast-rising star poets on the African continent, Stanley Onjezani Kenani , has been selected among the few to be put on billboards in South Africa during the World Cup tournament to take place in July.

Kenani wrote about the development on his Facebook page.

“My poem among the selected few to be put on billboards in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup,” he wrote on his profile attracting comments.

He wrote that the poem reads: “World: a large football pitch. Where none is man alone. Life: a game for all, poor or rich …”

The poem is entitled Umutu Ngumutu Ngabantu, Zulu language menaing that we live for each other.

Kenani will receive R2,500 for the 25 words in the poem.

According to Megan van den Heever a Media intern at Art for Humanity (formerly Artists for Human Rights) the organisers; the project is aimed at challenging xenophobic attitudes by bringing together artistic and poetic voices from around the world in a print portfolio.

A chartered accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a holder of a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Malawi , Kenani began writing stories and poems at the age of thirteen, and has now been published in many parts of the world and in many languages.

Kenani’s poetry, which strives to match the rhythm of an African’s life, is a mesh of metaphors, folklore and song. He believes “that poetry is a breath into the life of the world, and that poets must be listened to as they tackle topical issues that affect our daily lives.”

In another development, a well-known Britain-based Malawian artist Samson Kambalu has also been asked to do the artwork, so that makes two artists from Malawi.