A Pilot African Oral Poetry Project For Young People
Words that outlive us
Across two Saturday afternoons, Oral Futures, supported by Audible, brings young people back to the oldest classroom there is: the spoken word. Long before books, African communities carried history, values, and identity through poetry recited aloud: praise poems, proverbs, chants, and verse passed from elder to child.
This programme invites the next generation to step into that tradition, not just to hear it, but to speak it in their own indigenous language, and leave with a recording of their own voice carrying it forward.
Being a pilot, only 10 slots were made available for children between the ages of 12 and 18, but parents requested that they would like their children who are between ages 9 and 12 to attend. That age bracket was placed on standby. As it turned out, parents sent feedback that most of the children between ages 13 and 18 could not attend, so we had to make do with the younger ones from ages 9–12.
What happened on the days
The two-day Saturday event started with a workshop (5th of September 2026) where participants explored what makes African poetry, spoken word, and proverbs unique. We read excerpts from the Ẹ̀yà-Ara Ẹ̀dá Ọmọ-ènìyàn book and two other books. The children read folklore on the human body and asked some intellectually stimulating questions.
The reading from the books coincided with 6th of September, ‘Read a Book Day’. Children need to know about literature that engenders healing and strengthens their pride and connection to their cultural legacy.
The first day ended with an assignment for the children to work with their parents to create a 2–3-minute piece, which was recorded (audio) at the next session. This recording was made with their parents’ permission and is available below.