The process of publishing A Child is a Seedling has been unique, complex, and with many stakeholders. It didn’t start with looking around for some cute poems of young ladies. Its origins are in a full-time learning engagement with the poets and the one fine artist behind all the paintings here. In between are a host of people and some institutions that all contributed to the birth of the anthology. It has been a journey of learning and connecting with like-minded people with passion for creativityand youth empowerment.
PMM Girls’ School in Jinja, and its classes of literature and the literary clubs has been the original nurturing ground where year in and year out, several students emerged to be passionate and quite fluent poets in their own rights.
The poets and many other students whose enthusiasm to break new grounds beyond traditional learning experiences have been inspirational and a key driving force. They are very talented, a source of pride and each a shining star, with its brightest moment yet to be felt! I hope they’ll take the reins of poetry and reach out to the sky. This anthology need be just the start of greater things to come. I am glad that some of them are rising to the occasion.
Ms. Kaigo Betty, the editors’ vast experience and enthusiasm for literary creativity and nurturing of young people have been priceless assets in seeing this anthology get finally published. Hopefully we’ll continue to collaborate in other literary projects.
Alex Muleke, the young artist, who despite onslaught of The Pandemic and lockdown focused on seeing all the paintings featured here were done. What with having to transport the canvases to the studio of the patient and amiable Daka WairaEmmanuel, the photographer before curfew time! We thank Alex for sharing his passion for creative works with us. Like the poets featured here, he is a glowing pearl, and yet the best version of him is yet to be felt!
A special mention is Ms. Nambuba Mercy, alumni of PMM Girls’ School and contributing poet too. Her unique imagination and insight in critical study of the poems brought onboard fresh perspectives which greatly aided the editing quality. Thank you,Mercy!
Some of the poets featured here are also ‘children’ of FEMRITE Uganda. Adeke Jenipher, for one emerged the best poet in Uganda in one of the programs organized by FEMRITE for students. Today, Jenipher is a formidable poet in her own right. It is a privilege having her poems featured here. FEMRITE has all the right to be proud of her!
FEMRITE’s community of writers and readers club has alsobeen a background force. Those weekly Monday meetings have been moments of learning, and revitalization in literary pursuits- experiences that rubbed in the work of the anthology.
It was in this fraternity of writers and readers that I first met Ms. Kaigo. It was also in this circle that she asked the seasoned man, Mr. Iga Samuel and he generously offered to pen a smart preview for this anthology. No words to thank him enough!
The support and enthusiasm of the leadership and community of Luigi Giussani Senior Secondary School in Kireka, Kampala is most laudable. Its leadership instantly embraced and facilitated the project as a valuable educational program for learners and fully supported Ms. Kaigo who is a teacher there and Alex Muleke, an alumnus.
‘Thank you’ to the huge number of alumni, the staff, and parentsof PMM Girls School for their support. Many of them have been following the process keenly to the end. Hopefully its outcome makes them proud.
Friends and well-wishers, we thank you for always being there and urging us on whenever you can!
And then there are the Netizens! The support and enthusiasm of the community online has been so humbling and spurred us on to see that this work gets done! Those wonderful online postings and inbox messages are forever enshrined in our hearts!
Thank you everybody!
Chole Richard
