Rwanda has the potential to produce poets and poetesses who can audaciously express the social themes that affect the society and seek solutions to them. This was said by Andrea Grieder during the grand finale of a poetry competition,n dubbed ‘Kigali Vibrates With Poetry’ last weekend.

The competition took place at a lucid outdoor stage at The Manor Hotel in Nyarutarama and was attended by hundreds of enthusiastic poetry lovers who showed their appreciation at the kind of poems colorfully recited by dozen poets who had emerged as the finalists following grueling preliminaries.

In the end, it was Hakeem Hakizimana who emerged the overall winner, and with it some modest prizes for his effort. The prizes on offer included a one month gym membership at The Manor Hotel, a dinner for two, and spa treatment, among others.

Saeed Alam, the proprietor of the hotel, said the prizes were meant to motivate poets to come out and share what they have inside their hearts since "poetry releases powerful feelings.”

Hakizimana’s poem was a deep expression of gratitude to his young family. "I owe a lot to my wife and my child who have been both solid anchors to my existence and journey mates to my dreams. I wrote this poem to honor them,” said the winner of the poetry slam.

His recitation was rich in symbolism, drawn from nature, like other poems recited that day. He used the artistic symbolism of a rosebud flower to signify his youth and his young familial love, saying in the poem that "a single mature bloom signifies lasting love, and a bouquet of mature blooms indicates his gratitude to his budding family”.

Youthful poetess Martine Uwacu Karekezi scooped the second prize, with her poem recited in French that extolled the beauty of the earth "glowing with breathtaking radiance while the third prize went to Ferdinand Munezero who electrified the audience with his songs and dance moves while dressed in Rwandan authentic traditional regalia.

Lillian Bizimana may not have won a prize but her story, dolefully recited in her poem, captured the hearts of the audience. With trickle of tears flowing from her eyes, her poem was a remembrance to her parents who died during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and reminisce to her childhood excitement and joy, and was a call for humanity to "rediscover their souls so that such wrongdoings to mankind don’t happen again.”

The plight of Burundian refugees, now living in different camps in Rwanda and other neighbouring countries, was highlighted by a poetess called Sabrina in a piece called Freedom to Refugees.

"I was inspired to write this poem after visiting a refugee camp in Bugesera and seeing the kind of hollow life they live. This is an appeal to those who foment trouble for their own selfish reasons to let peace prevail in the world,” she said.

Grieder talked of her decision to found Kigali Vibrates With Poetry. "People spoke about everyday challenges, about fear, about love, about naturalization, violence, about the female body, about being a woman, and what makes people feel alive, and that’s also why I called the event ‘Kigali Vibrates With Poetry’ because poetry is being alive and having this kind of energy that makes you move on in life. It makes you feel alive.”

She said that building on the success of the two events that have been held so far, the next step is going to seek ways through which a permanent poetry house will be established in Kigali to bring together all people who share passion with poetry.

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