Adeke Jenipher – contributing poet

Let’s have it from Jenipher in her own words. Shall we?

“I first picked interest in reading at age of 12 years when I was in primary seven. When I joined secondary school, my first-year English teacher, Madam Atim Florence motivated me to read poetry, which I quickly fell in love with. I was amazed by Okot P’Bitek’s Song of Lawino and other poems that madam Atim gave us opportunity to read in class in poetic tones. No wonder poetry filled the pages of that senior one English book edition that got us rolling the whole year. I soon found myself reading lots of poetry. Catching the passion like flu, I soon started dribbling my own lines of poems. I started writing poems to my friends near and far in form of simple notes or letters for the love of it. While in high school, my love for writing grew year by year. I was a member of the Lit Writers Club where I got lots of opportunities to read to audiences, write amazing stories and participated in various writing competitions.

“I am a very passionate poet and love to use poetry to express situations. There are some things that may seem gloomy and colorless, but one may be surprised at how poetry can bring more color, and voice to them. Another interesting thing about me as I write poems, is that I also like expressing emotions of victory, courage, loss, bitterness, name it.

“I can never forget the year 2009. I wrote a poem on victory. I was a member of the Lit Writers’ Club where with the help of Mr. Chole, I participated in the poetry poster project for schools’ competition organized by FEMRITE Uganda. I emerged a winner and my poem featured in Painted Voices 2010 Edition published by FEMRITE.”
Jenipher is a children’s teacher and freelance writer. She is currently working on a children’s’ book. She hopes to publish a collection of poems that can be used for spoken words or poetry gatherings. She has special liking for Okot P’Bitek’s poems. Her life interests are reading, writing, cooking, travelling to new places, strolling on lonely paths, writing heart-warming messages to friends, helping women and children.