Satisfashion Ug’s Woman Crush Today Is Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva

Beverley Nambozo Nsengiyunva is a writer, poet, actress, literary activist, and biographer with over 24 poems and short stories under her belt. She is the founder of the Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation formerly The Beverley Nambozo Poetry Award for Ugandan women which promotes African poetry through awards, festivals, and publications.

Nambozo a child of a diplomat lived in the UK for about eight years of her childhood. She studied at Kampala parents’ school, Gayaza High School before joining Makerere College School and received a Bachelor of Education (literature, English) degree from  Makerere University with a certificate in French from Alliance Française de Kampala and a master’s degree (Distinction) in creative writing from Lancaster University.

Nambozo was a child when she became interested in poetry. Her father was very artistic, being a very well-traveled diplomat. He translated his explorations into their home, which influenced her. The schools she attended also supported writing and reciting during assembly, in class, and even in the dormitories. She often composed raps or poems for her dormitory or class and weaved them into dance routines.

The now Babishai Niwe Poetry Foundation began in 2008 as a platform for promoting poetry and has since extended to the entire continent, targeting both men and women. In previous articles and interviews, Nambozo is described as a literary activist who not only describes her work and the process by which local relationships have promoted her artistic growth, but also attempts to give space to these connections.

Nambozo has worked at the Eastern African Sub-Regional Support Institute for The Advancement of Women (EASSI), British Council, as a radio show morning host for two years at 104.1 Power FM in Kampala.

Nambozo has also served as an Audience Relations Manager, conducting regular market surveys. Before that, she was a teacher and dance instructor at Rainbow International School in Kampala. Since 1999, she has been in an active dance group that usually holds concerts in and around the church and the community. Nambozo has also been involved in several HIV/AIDS sensitization campaigns amongst youth in secondary schools and universities making her the perfect WCW today for her bravery and commitment to social change.

Watch one of Beverely’s poem recitals at Alliance Française de Kampala here

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