DREAMS

A new production
Presented by

Vuka Africa Arts

A true story about one survivor Jubane who had a great future ahead of him before he was forced tojoin the struggle. He was promised honey and milk, free health treatment ,jobs, fertile land etc, but after the Independence Jubane was left with a permanent disability and no compensation no job and no place to call home.

COME AND SEE A TWO MEN CAST PRODUCTION,
AMAGENTS ON STAGE PRESENTING
A STAGE PLAY FOR THE 1ST TIME IN THE UK

WORLD PREMIERE SHOWCASED @
Carriage Works
Leeds

15 May 2008
TIME:8 P M
ADM:£7

Analysing: Blessing

First I will talk about the context of the poem. A poem written by Imtiaz Dharker who was born in 1954 in Pakistan but she grew up in Glascow. Imtiaz now lives in Mumbai (previously named Bombay). This poem is set in Dharvi village where it provided temporary housing for millions of migrants. The poem talks about how water is important. When the pipe bursts it was a gift from God because everyone was happy. Children were running up and down, Dharvi was always having a shortage of water, so for them really it was a big issue after they had waited for so long. This poem really talks about the reality of life as a whole. Just imagine yourself spending a day without drinking water, how do you feel? I leave this question for you to answer.

The introduction of the poem is very straight forward highlighting the atmosphere of a dry season. In the heat of the day the temperature rose to 40oc and there never was enough water. For the first time when I read this poem I thought of how “the skin cracks” when it’s dry, really it’s painful. The stanzas are written in different ways. What I mean is that the introduction got only 2 lines’ but the second has got 4 and its pace changes because it has got some commas in it. I think the 3rd stanza is vital because it’s longer than the others. This stanza includes caesura like “sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,” In this quote you can see that there’s a full stop and the sentence continues after that. This stanza is the main and the effect part of the poem because water is so precious. Also this poem is written very simple and got uppercase because the case they started at the beginning of the sentence. Also what I can say is that the writer uses emotive language because you can imagine being lonely and thirsty in the middle of a hot place your skin cracking that’s what I call emotional.

When I imagine the picture of the poem, I remind myself of when I was in Africa where it is very hot in a small village. It is very depressing with nothing to do and all I can see are people gathered around, praying for rain. The place is very hot children are crying because they can’t walk bare footed. If I take a look from a distance all I see is the sparkling of the sun. With dry mouths and everyone’s lips are changing to white. However, the picture changes suddenly when the municipal pipe bursts and everyone is happy running up and down with some plastic buckets and pots which show the happiness and the prayers being answered by the lord. Seeing the sound of water dripping is described in a metaphor as the voice of kindly god. (Ref 2nd stanza last paragraph) Also we hear the sound of cracking, splashing and people footsteps at the same time they are jeering for the water. Also I just imagine the sound of the buckets and pots beating down. Children are playing naked in the water splashing each other since it has been a long period without bathing. That’s where the word “Blessing” comes which means something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity.

The water its self is descried as the blessing in colours we have got silver, brass, copper, aluminium and the flashing of the light.

The tone changes at the beginning of the poem “the skin cracks like a pod” is sorrowful, reflecting on the cracking of skin. As time goes on, the tone and the pace changes, in the 3rd stanza the writer describes the morale and happiness so it is a stanza you read it quickly, freely and exciting up to the end.

Verdict

I think this poem real it’s good and it talks about the reality of poor people who lived without water. It talks about how water is so precious and important. Imtiaz Dharker has experienced all what she wrote about, for you readers real I consult you to read this poem and have your on view. Don’t read this poem once and fast just go on it again and again so that you can get used to it and understand. If you have finished reading this poem just take a look at Hurricane Hits England a poem which is similar to blessing. The only different is that hurricane talks about exploring the emotions and ideas awakened by a violent storm

Blood War in Zimbabwe

By Nqobile Mafu

Is it the beginning of the war in Zimbabwe? 27 years ago things where in good condition, when pound was equivalent to Zim dollar. The first black prime minister in new Zimbabwe under Zanu PF, by then it was on the 18th of April 1980 when we got our independence. Robert Gabriel Mugabe was full of happiness and joy, all he was talking about was peace, harmony and co-operation. Robert Mugabe was regarded as a nice and intelligent person, a leader who was raised in the Roman-Catholic church, he promised reconciliation and democracy, but he was later disrupted by the opposition party ZAPU PF which was lead by the Late Dr Joshua Nkomo. But now it’s all history because of the situation and what is happening in the country. Zimbabwe will never be the same again and it will take time to recover the entire mess. I think we are going back to days of Gugurahundi the days of Toyi-Toyi. Mugabe regime is violence the human rights policy and takes the law to its cause. The Movement for Democratic (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Tendai Biti, the secretary-general; Lovemore Madhuku, chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA); Nelson Chamisa, the MDC Secretary for Publicity and Information, Sekai Holland, Secretary for Policy and Research, deputy Grace Kwinjeh, and Mike Davies, the chairman of the Combined Harare Residents' Association (CHRA) are among more than 100 people arrested in Harare for planning to attend a prayer meeting for Zimbabwe they where detained and tortured.

Thousands of opposition supporters were singing and waved the party's open hand salute as the MDC leaders and about six other injured activists living from the police custody. Grace Kwinjeh was described as having had "her right ear nearly severed from her head" while in police custody Tsvangirai’s shirt totally unbuttoned, full of blood, appeared so confused as he walked slowly and boarded an emergency vehicle without help. Mr Tsvangirai accused police of “a brutality which was done to the opposition people” also he said “struggle continues as police defy court order”one man was shot dead as the riot grows in the city.
South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, who has continued to refuse to make any public statements against the authorities in Harare, despite the shocking brutality of the police, Thabo Mbeki remained silent and received much criticism himself for ignoring such brutal actions to her neighbours. The question is why the blame goes to South Africa? What about other African countries that are kept quiet even the super powers such as America, Britain and European countries, only what they do is keep on talking than making it practical. Is it that Zimbabwe doesn’t have any resources such as oil, gold and weapons of mass destruction?

From now on we will keep on hearing different catastrophe up until the end of 2008 elections. An Ngiyesaba source said “One activist was taken from court on a stretcher, two stumbled on crutches, and a young woman unable to walk was helped into an ambulance by paramedics. The chairman of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Madhuku suffered a broken arm.”

BRITANNIA MY FOREIGN COUNTRY

When I step on this placeeverything changed.
The day I arrived here I have seen wonders
Britannia my foreign country.
A place to be, a place where you can see unseen
I have been in different places;
I have been in clubs, parties,
Yah! This is Britain.

People can't sleep talking is what they know.
People smoke and drink most of the time,
Killings, robbers; prostitutes are there
Britain, Britannia, Brita

Is this manor and heaven
or Sodom and Gomorra
Gehena baba.

Britannia people are confused
what’s wrong with you?
Is it the weather, situation or development?
Whom can I ask?
Who can give me an answer?
Britannia I am confused.

You can find anything freedom and democracy is there.
In sports you are number one
Britannia who created youmy foreign country.

You can find different might cultures
Asian, Africans, Chinese extra! extra
Britannia my foreign country why you.

THE RISE OF YEBO

BY NQOBILE MAFU

It took some years for your dream to come true. As I witness the rise of Yebo Africa Inter-cultural Arts, which was formed recently in UK by James Kasankha Phiri.He came a long way from the dark township of Makokoba in Zimbabwe, Where he was born and bred .During his tender age he usually take old tires and bricks as toys. He has been involved in the art industry for so many years, also worked with different arts organization and groups both national and international. Being a scout lead him to found it easy for the formation of Yebo Africa Inter-cultural Arts. Yebo means "yes" when translated in English.
Today Yebo is growing from its roots as an international promoting company aiming to provide facilities for creation and leisure-time in conditions of life for those who have need of such facilities. Arrange some cultural exchange programmes training of artist, visual arts, crafts, arts education, encouraging cross-culture communication among tribes, young people and bring mutual understanding through the universal language of art, just to mention a few. So far the organization is working with young up coming artist such as Egyptian & Cactus, Vuka Africa Arts, Umkhathi theatre and many more. also in feature they are looking of working with big giants like Mandoza, Oliver Mtukudzi, Papa Wemba, Youssondor, Usher, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Umonja and many more said Mr Phiri the founder and director of the company.

"Building the bridge together"

YAICA in short give a helping hand to African refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers by the provision of advice, information and assistance in such matters as health, education, and training for employment. And raise the cultural awareness of their origin. The organization is registered under charity also collets some used cloths to donate to poor families in developing countries. Meanwhile Yebo is planning to bring a youth cultural group in the UK for several months from Africa. This group is composed of orphan children who don’t know their parents, some died with deadly disease AIDS. The aim of bringing this youth cultural group is to keep them away from the streets avoiding them of becoming criminals. And to keep them busy so that they can maintain their lives said one of the organizers. During the tour they will work on African cultural workshops both in junior and high schools. The accommodation has already been sourced , The Leeds community have an opportunity to journey to the Southern Africa for a long

My Question

By Nqobile Mafu

Allow me to impose a question to you
Let me take my mind and put it to you
Let me take my feelings and impose them to you
Take myself and make it yours
Now you are treated and harassed?
Living like a slave in your beloved country?
You have no freedom to stand for your rights?
No freedom to fight for your country?

Do you remember the innocent blood of,
a white farmer who was murdered?
Do you remember the slaughtering of people?
Where were you? Where were you?

When people running up and down
Do you remember! Do you remember?
DO you remember Terry Ford who was held,
against a tree and shot dead near Norton? In Zimbabwe

The struggle is not yet over
Speak my mouth speak
Speak until the sun rise
Speak my mouth speak
Speak until the sun set

I was born talking
And l will never stop
Poetic and entertaining is what l know
My poetry built strength for the nation.

What will you do?
Knowing that if you take right way,
You will be killed?
Knowing that once you stand for your rights,
You will be full of trouble?
What will you do? What will you do?

The struggle continue
Talking is what l know better
Just image yourself?
The brutality and man’s laughter
Image the blood of our Friends, Relatives,
Brothers and many more
How do you feel?
How do you feel?
Do you stand for that?


Now is the time for my safety
Bring me roses,
Not to keep them for my grave to come
Give them to me while my heart beats
Give them to me
While my heart needed to be comforted

I can’t wait for death
Just to be a sitting target
So I was the one leaving

Another day another death for Zimbabweans

By Nqobile Mafu

What a shame to all my fellow Zimbabweans who were hoping that HS case will be a success. In 2005 a temporary ban on deportations to Zimbabwe was put in place pending the determination of the AIT tribunal on whether deportees faced automatic risk once back home. On Friday 23 November 2007 the case which involved an MDC member who had claimed asylum after failing to acquire stay in the UK was thrown out. HS claimed that as an opposition member she would be at risk if she was deported back home because the CIO operates at the airport and checking all the passengers especially those who will be coming from the UK. The British government never believed any statement made by HS and they immediately claimed victory, and indicated its intentions to resume the removal of asylum seekers to Zimbabwe.

The UK Home Office has argued it will offer protection to those who genuinely can prove they need it, this means they will now proceed on a case by case basis. Campaigners however say returnees, irrespective of background, are classed as agents of regime change and face possible arrest, torture and other forms of ill treatment. A statement made by AIT judgment in HS (Zimbabwe) v Secretary of State for the Home Department.

· 246. A person who has made an unsuccessful asylum claim and has exhausted his rights of appeal will still be able to arrange a voluntary return until he is detained for the purpose of removal. After he has been detained for removal his travel documents will be held by the airline staff even if the person being removed is co-operative and compliant

· 279. We do not accept either that all those seen as having claimed asylum in the United Kingdom will be thought to be supporters of the MDC on that account alone. As noted earlier, the suggestion that the Zimbabwean authorities proceed on the basis that anyone with a connection with Britain must be considered a supporter of the MDC is impossible to reconcile with the significant effort put into obtaining intelligence concerning those in the United Kingdom who do support the opposition. After all, there would be little point in sending CIO operatives to infiltrate groups in the United Kingdom if everyone retuned was, in any event, to be presumed to be a supporter of the MDC and an enemy of the state qualifying for detention and interrogation.

The Refugee Legal Centre immediately issued a statement saying the decision puts thousands of Zimbabweans at risk of deportation and would leave many destitute. The statement says, ‘Most asylum seekers who have been refused asylum receive no financial help from the Government 21 days after losing their appeals. They are then evicted from their accommodation and are not allowed to work.’ The situation in Zimbabwe ‘is highly dangerous and is only likely to get worse in the run up to the Presidential and Parliamentary elections next March.’ Now the youth militia known as the “Green Bombers” are being been deployed in different places and their job is to cause a lot of confusion, rape and torture to the opposition members. The Refugee Legal Centre is considering whether to appeal against this decision, which overturned a ruling in 2005 that all Zimbabwean asylum seekers faced a real risk of persecution if they were to return. The RLC will also continue to support individuals who are able to challenge removal