By: Paula .O. M. Otukile
Worth Noting:
- The awards will benefit the Botswana writers by giving them international exposure, we already see the poets from Botswana sharing international platform and network growing as some are now editors in Kenya for reputable papers only through our awards initiative.
- The Mulher Forte African literature awards project bring a fresh breath to Botswana education if the ministry of education can partner with us, or support local authors involved in our awards as all the time after awards we create book collaborations with the winners and this brings diverse flare and cultural exchanges on the region hence broaden minds of our kids.
Mulher Forte is a Portuguese phrase simply meaning a strong woman. The Mulher Forte African Literature Awards Pty, Ltd company was registered 8 September 2020 with CIPA in Botswana, the aim is to give literature in Africa recognition, by creating Literature awards Competition annually and interactive literature Webinars, Workshops, debates, of societal issues and literature challenges that book designers and publishers and writers and Poets across Africa discuss.
These awards were founded by a young Motswana woman Snr Paula .O. M. Otukile. She was inspired by the love of African narrative and saw the need in the book industry market to create a platform that can give literature recognition.
Africans writers from all over the continent are eligible to partake in the awards. The rise of self-publishing reduced the quality of books and made a rise of more authors hence in Africa people write but do not gain anything out of it, Mulher forte was created to help reduce the rise of bogus publishers who scam people their money online, so many young Africans can easily search reputable publishers from Mulher Forte African literature page on Facebook and publish.
Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, South Sudan, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola Swaziland, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, are part of the competition, however we intend to extend the invite to more African countries especially the francophones in the third annual awards.
The awards are strictly for only African writers as poets and those in publishing industry because the aim is to unite Africa and improve the quality of performance and writing.
This year we did not conceive sponsors, We pitched to the Ministry of Youth and culture in Gaborone they advised us to apply where I come from in Mahalapye, as such Brilliant projects must highlight our areas, but I had already moved to Gaborone so I preferred to knock on other doors, I went to Botswana national library services but they loved the project too and asked for the proposal only that things move in snail pace in our country. However we did get publishing sponsors from Writers pen in Kenya, another publishing company in Uganda the iconic publications offered publishing sponsorship, Read Us Africa Book Club in Uganda is also a partner, Bothata Kennedy Silase Foundation in Lesotho is also a partner and the Zambia National Writers association, as well as The Mount Kenya Times daily newspaper and the Diaspora Times weekly newspaper in Kenya, not forgetting the Public eye in Lesotho who supports our efforts. The Millionairio Company from Angola sponsored with free advertising for winners.
The awards will benefit the Botswana writers by giving them international exposure, we already see the poets from Botswana sharing international platform and network growing as some are now editors in Kenya for reputable papers only through our awards initiative.
The Mulher Forte African literature awards project bring a fresh breath to Botswana education if the ministry of education can partner with us, or support local authors involved in our awards as all the time after awards we create book collaborations with the winners and this brings diverse flare and cultural exchanges on the region hence broaden minds of our kids.
The challenge i experience is lack of mobilization or financial support, to network and do anything it needs resources, taking from my personal pocket takes away from my family, this is not my Africa, this is our land everyone must help to improve education, writing, creative arts in Africa, but the powers in being do not support arts fully, it’s like arts and literature are simply a hobby in our continent
The sponsorship of the awards will enrich the quality of awards.
The advise I have for the aspiring writers is, market yourself well, take your time to write, seek best editors and proof readers and do not despair.
Event was held on the 26th of February 2022 at the Linga longa -Game City at 18:00pm until 20:00pm, free and dress code is African attire.
Due to this project I did Gender based campaigns across Africa and locally since 2020, and I won Best international Gender Based Violence activist in Monrovia, 31 December 2021.Another award was Best
International woman of the year award 2021.I won it November 30 last year in Delta state, Nigeria!
My book Thato wishes to be a butterfly on gender based violence and sexual abuse awareness won Global AfriCAN Authors honoree awards July 2021 in South Africa.
Mt Kenya Times