Poet artist cries foul

Ashley Mujoma

POET Elijah Chibanda has bemoaned the amount of talent that goes unnoticed because of lack of exposure.

The 27-year-old believes his artwork has the power to positively impact society.

Elijah’s poetry largely focuses on gender equality. He said his aim was to express the feelings, emotions and words of the voiceless.

“There are a lot of things that affect society, and these matters need to be heard by everyone.

“Some people cannot speak out, so through writing one can speak out, “ he said.

Elijah draws inspiration from Mordecai Hamutyinei, Renias Mashiri and female voices like Yvonne Vera, Tsitsi Dangarembga and Valerie Tagwirei. “My work revolves around the plight of women, and several other sub themes.”

At 16, Chibanda had already penned two novels and several poems. He started taking writing seriously when he was in Form Two at Chapwanya High School in Buhera. “I started writing more frequently when I was 14 and since then, I have never stopped. During my school days, I was always one of the top writers and this encouraged me to continue writing,” he said.  Elijah is yet to publish his works due to financial challenges. “My wish is to get my works published and known everywhere. I think, probably, my rural background is the barrier to connecting with people who may assist in publicising my work,” he said. Elijah has a collection of 80 unpublished poems, which he says cut across various sub-plots centred on the plight of women.