SEVEN WRITERS AND ARTIST FOR 2022 IHRAF TEEN ARTS AND WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

Six Writers and One Artist have been nominated for this year IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme, a programme of the African Chapter of the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF) with its international headquarters in New York, U.S.A. They include: Moyinoluwa Oyetunji Sarah (Poet), Akinfenwa Temitope (Poet), Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun (Short Story Writer), Ajobo Haleeah Oluwalaanumi (Poet & Short Story Writer), Razak Samad (Artist), Stephen Ajeigbe (Poet) and Peace Akindimeji Akin-Tella (Poet).

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of IHRAF in Africa, Wole Adedoyin.

According to him, IHRAF Teen Arts and Writing Mentorship Programme provides the guidance to help teen writers and artists perfect their craft and successfully complete and publish their self-published book/arts projects. They are to write/create works of art on issues bordering Human Rights issues affecting Africa.

The programme also hopes to help empower shortlisted recipients to independently identify growth areas and find relevant, valuable, ongoing learning opportunities from individuals who have relevant and shareable experiences and insights.

The duration for the programme is six months and completed works will be published by the International Human Rights Art Festival (IHRAF).

MEET THE RECIPIENTS OF THE IHRAF TEEN ARTS AND WRITING MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME, 2022 EDITION
MOYINOLUWA OYETUNJI SARAH (POET)
Oyetunji Moyinoluwa Sarah, born thirteen (13) years ago in Ibadan, her birth was recorded on the 17th day of November 2008; she is presently a junior secondary School III, student of God’s Blessing Comprehensive College.
Her journey into creative writing was discovered at an early age, but as a relatively shy and quiet girl, she kept all her writings to herself, with hardly no reader, until her school mother helped her. Adebayo Damilola, helped her discover her talent and motivated her to write and never be discouraged, and so she courted the habit of reading every good book available to read.
She started writing at the age of nine when she was in primary four and has written over five short stories and several poems
Her hobbies include singing, reading, writing and debating.
Her interest in reading and writing has made her a better person and has opened her eyes to desire to change the world positively.
Moyinoluwa specializes in writing poetry and prose, and may consider playwriting in the near future.
She is a member of the Book Friendly Club in her school, where she shares ideas and discusses her works with other writers, under the tutelage of Mr. Marcus Ugboduma .
She is also a member of the Ibadan Book Club. Her greatest aspiration is to become a great writer from Africa.
She has written many poems, some of which include: ‘Have you ever wondered’, ‘I am me’,
‘Rights of the youths, “My way of giving” “Poetry is me”, “My parents my jewel”, “What goes around, comes around”,” Giving is taking” among other poems all yet to be published
Moyinoluwa has also three written works in prose which are, “My life my Complications”
” The rough path”, and “Folashades’s mystery.”
Moyinoluwa as at certain times in her youthful life engaged in acting in the past, usually at the church during special programmes and when she was in primary school, and her next acting stint in which she is actively involved is AGBEKOYA a play on the Farmers uprising in Ibadan in the 70s, which would be staged coincidentally on her forthcoming birthday this November. She had three of her poems read to the listening pleasure of members of the Ibadan book club.
She is grateful to God for her writing skill.
TEMITOPE AKINFENWA (POET)
Temitope Akinfenwa was born 12 years ago , since her childhood days she developed her interest in books and enjoys reading at ease, she dreams of being a mass communicator, or an accountant, since she discovered how versatile she is reading and writing, her teachers at God’s Blessing Comprehensive College discovered she was fond of converting her note books to her writing pad where she wrote her poems and short stories, it was then it was discovered that she had several other works she had secretly written and kept to herself, which she had been writing since she was 9 years old. And so she was advised to join the Book Friendly Club of God’s Blessing Comprehensive College Ibadan. Since then, her writing skill has taken a new dimension. She had her first opportunity to read her poems to a large audience when she joined the club, and she was further encouraged, at the monthly reading of the Ibadan book club where she was appreciated having read her poems to a larger and experienced audience.
Some of her poems includes: ‘I must shine’,” My tomorrow”,“Victory is mine” and
“My body,God’s temple”. While her plays and prose includes, “Do no cry yet”
“The Young virgin”, “Blood she’d and not shed” and “From Shame to glory” and others.
She believes a future career in writing is possible and that constant reading shapes one's future, while God, her parents and teachers motivates her to write stories, poems and plays, and they have been her pillars supporting her to be a better person, to them she shall be forever grateful.
TINUADE DORCAS OMITOOGUN (SHORT STORY WRITER)
Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun, is an upcoming budding creative writer, with a penchant for writing prose and short stories. She is twelve years old and was born to the family of Mr and Mrs Omitoogun on the 23rd day of October, 2009. She started out loving to read books her parents bought for her, and reading books her older siblings had at home. As she fiddled with books at an early age, tearing off book covers and pages of novels, her family never got discouraged, this prompted her father to buy her books meant for her age, at that time she was barely three years old. She guided her book jealously and since then holds every book in high esteem, as she scribbled on these books, the love for writing began to take shape. She got motivated by every book she read, and her appetite for reading heightened. And a desire to write stories began to build up, because of her love for reading.
At the age of 8 years she fulfilled her dream to be a writer, by completing her first story titled “The best place to be” at that time she was in primary 4.
Among her other works are
“Seed to sow”, “honesty pays”, “The reward of jealously”, and “Why didn’t I listen”? etc. Some of my poems also are “Why is this world wicked”, “My mother”.
Tinuade Dorcas Omitoogun is a member of Book Friendly Club of God’s Blessing Group of Schools and also the Ibadan Book Club, where she has had opportunities to read out her poems and stories to club members. She earned herself a major role in AGBEKOYA, a play based on farmers uprising in Ibadan in the 60s. The play has further motivated her to write plays and so she looks forward to publishing her first book soon.
HALEEAH OLUWALAANUMI AJOBO (POET & SHORT STORY WRITER)
Ajobo Haleeah Oluwalaanumi is a lover of nature and enjoys reading and narrating stories. Presently, preparing for her BECE 2021/22 Academic Session. She aspires to become a qualified and successful Medical Practitioner. A founding member of Elewura Readers’ Club. Haleeah recently read one of her works at a readership promotion campaign programme of the National Library of Nigeria, Oyo State Branch held recently in Ibadan.
SAMAD RAZAK (ARTIST)
Samad Razak was born in the year 2007 in Ibadan, Oyo state where he hails from and currently lives. As Samad grew up he watched his elder sister draw and paint object and pictures and that inspired him to desire to draw and paint pictures too, At the age of seven, the turnaround came when he drew his first picture, his elder sister saw the talent in him and began helping him out to perfect his artistic skills. Support and encouragement from his parents and teachers have him the needed lifeline,
One day he was suspended from the table tennis team of God’s blessing Comprehensive College Ibadan. He was kept out of the team for weeks for failing to take his studies seriously. While he sat one morning watching his peers play, he had in one hand his drawing pad, some students were gathered around and flipping from page to page with excitement on their faces. At that point Mr Marcus Ugboduma discovered he was an artist and decided to nurture him and promote his artistic works, so he began tasking him. At that point he became a celebrity Artist, whose specialty is simply to draw celebrities and notable personalities.
Among the notable personalities or celebrities he has drawn includes: Burna Boy, Dr Yinka Ayefele, President Mohammadu Buhari, Governor Setup Makinde. But his most favorite drawings are That of the Olubadan of Ibadan Land and Dr Yinka Ayefele. Samad really appreciated his teacher, mentor and master, Mr. Marcus Ugboduma who tutored, mentored, encouraged and took him like his son. In a bid to show his gratitude to him, Samad drew a beautiful portrait of Mr. Marcus and his wife to mark their 3rd wedding anniversary.
Samad is a member of the Book friendly club of God’s blessing Comprehensive college, and also the Ibadan book club. He feels privilege to have exhibited his art works at the 2020 Cultural day celebration held in his school, where the Chairman of the Oyo State council For Arts and culture, was present and promised to take him to the Olubadan of Ibadan Land to present his work to Our royal father, but that dream is yet to see the light of day but he hopes it comes sooner, His works were also exhibited at the Ibadan book club in one of their monthly readings,
Samad is an artist per excellence, who recently played the role of prisoner 1 in Agbekoye. The play AGBEKOYA was staged by students of his School to mark the 2020/21 Valedictory Service. He now believes that with constant reading and study with book club members, he hopes to write poems, plays and prose sooner.
Samad is sure that in the nearest future his drawings will flood the art space as the biggest maker of celebrity art works, his current work is the drawing of Prophetess Esther Ajayi.
STEPHEN AJEIGBE (POET)
Ajeigbe Stephen was born in the year 2008 in Ibadan, Oyo state and he resides there, as he grew up, he never knew he had the talent of writing poems but he tried to be an artist but unfortunately, he discovered it was not in him, at the age of thirteen, he was taken to Ibadan book club by Mr Marcus Ugboduma and when he saw others displaying their talents. By the time it was over, he left very sad because he had nothing to display. At that point Mr. Marcus inspired him to be a poet. He wrote his first poem titled beauty and some other titles "friendship" and “anger in a man". Stephen is a member of The Book Friendly Club of God's blessing Comprehensive College and also the Ibadan Book Club.
He feels privileged to have read his first poem ever on the floors of the Ibadan Book Club.
Stephen is a writer per excellence, who seizes every opportunity available to write poems.
He now believes that with constant personal and group reading and learning with book club members, he hopes to write more poems sooner.
Stephen is sure that in the future, his poems will flood the world as the biggest writer of poems, his current poem is titled "Education with Godliness".
PEACE AKINDIMEJI AKIN-TELLA (POET)
Akin-Tella Peace Akindimeji was born on 29th day of September 2008, in Ibadan.
Peace did not start writing Early enough, but preferred reading. His ability to write was discovered at the age of 13, when he saw his classmates and other friends writing and feeling happy with their works being read in gathering and on the School assembly ground, also at that point came the constant boastings of one of his teachers, Mr Marcus Ugboduma, The coordinator of the Book Friendly Club of his school, who used to boast about his students writing prowess and creative skills, especially in Poetry and prose.
He also constantly advised that writing was going to help them academically and it was capable of taking them to greater heights.
This prompted Peace to write his first set of poems which includes: "Why death", "Ibadan",
" I am strong" and "Foolishness."

Peace Akin- Tella is currently a member of his School's Choir, The JETS Club, the Book Friendly Club of God's Blessing Comprehensive College and the Ibadan Book Club,
He has represented his School in several competitions and most recently The Science Teachers Association of Nigeria OLYMPIAD 2022, at the junior category. He looks forward to becoming a renowned Science fiction writer in the near future. His Parental encouragement has been his source of inspiration in Writing.