Inspiring children through poetry

Mrs Faradiba Morton, from Proud Community Youth Development (PCD), started a poetry project after seeing children in the community becoming lost, a notion which never sat well with her.

Mrs Morton started the poetry project but has now joined forces with The Jozi Book Fair in order to prepare younger generations for the future.

“I love children with all my heart and think that each child is special. My hope is renewed each time I have a conversation with an angel. Children have so much to share and they are the key to a better South Africa. Children have so much to share,” said Mrs Morton.

“Arm the children with confidence and knowledge, and watch the change,” she said.

Every Saturday, from February, she will be either training others to do what she does, or she will be giving classes to the youth in the community and surrounding communities. The aim of the lessons is to help children improve their lives by encouraging reading and writing their own stories.

“The schedule will only be sent out once I have established when the Jozi Book Fair will want me to start, even though I will go on teaching the Rhodes Park Poetry Buddies,” said Mrs Morton.

“I was sent to Eldorado Park so that I can recruit more children and coordinators,” she added.

Mrs Morton said there are a lot of people at the park, and they are all good people. She said the children have a lot of potential.

“We would like to tap into that potential and help the children grow into the leaders we deserve. Eldos FM Radio gave us a warm welcome so our plans to grow have begun, albeit slowly,” she said.

The sessions are designed to communicate with children, allowing them to express their feelings and thoughts without being judged.

Mrs Morton said they help the children express themselves with poetry, which is like therapy.

According to Mrs Mortin, the children really enjoy this.

Mrs Morton would like the old Poetry Buddies to write their own stories this year, while the new group will work on a poetry book for inspiration.

The group will also be hosting a competition. The Jozi Book Fair will give a prize each year to the child who reads the most books in a year.

Last year, one of the pupils, Dearshney, managed to read 217 books.

Mrs Morton said Dearshney started the competition.

“This inspired the children to read more because everyone from Rhodes Park Library is after the prize this year,” said Mrs Morton.