Malawian poets Qabaniso Q Malewezi and Christina Kamwendo have been selected for the 2025 African Stories for Change programme set for 14 to 16 April this year in Accra, Ghana.
Malewezi, who is Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera’s Advisor on Arts and Creative will be among mentors while Kamwendo, known as Dark Shadow in arts, will participate alongside 19 others from Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe.
According to a statement from organisers Africa Social Moments Baraza the organisation’s sponsors Trust Africa has partnered Thrive Africa to amplify the voices of social moments, shedding light on critical social justice issues and driving collective active.
The organisation said Malewezi made it because of his experience and through poetry, has advocated for social change and injustice.
Reads the statement: “Qabaniso Malewezi (Q) is a Malawian poet, spoken word artist and arts advocate whose work blends cultural critique with musical rhythm and intimate reflection. His poetry spans written and spoken word with notable works including ‘The Road Not Taken, Little Discoveries and the spoken word album People.
“Q has performed on global stages such as Lake of Stars, Poetry Africa and Word N Sound Poetry Festival and has been featured on CNN’s African Voices, BBC World Service and The Travel Channel.
“A driving force behind Malawi’s poetry scene, he co-founded The Living Room Poetry Club and established Kweza Arts, an organisation dedicated to nurturing the arts and creative infrastructure in Malawi.”
In a post on his Facebook Page, Malewezi said he was looking forward to the programme.
“Storytelling is a powerful tool for shaping narratives, preserving culture and driving change. Through poetry, spoken word and writing, I have shared African stories on global stages and worked to build creative spaces through Kweza Arts.
“Looking forward to mentoring young multimedia storytellers in reclaiming and amplifying African narratives at the third African Social Movements Baraza in Accra, Ghana.”
On Kamwendo’s selection, the organisers said she has used arts to share powerful stories.
Reads the statement: “Christina Kamwendo, known by her pen name Dark Shadow, is a Malawian poet, writer and spoken word artist. Born on 17 November 1998, she began writing at a young age and embraced performance poetry in 2017 using the stage to share powerful stories.”
Former Malawi Writers Union president Alfred Msadala congratulated the two Malawian poets, saying they will gain knowledge through interaction with other artists during the programme.
“This is very encouraging. Although it is news to me, these developments are where some of us can be isolated for participating on an international platform, this is what we all look forward to. It is collaboration as well as networking in this global community, and such is an in-thing.”
