Student releases first collection
Born and raised in the remotest areas of Chirumhanzu District in the Midlands Province, 23-year-old Nesbert Takaedza Zengeni is the newest name to the significantly growing number of poets in the country.
Zengeni’s first anthological publication, The Voice In The Exile is an account of Zengeni’s life, from the time he lost his parents and having to be raised by his aunt to the present day when he is a university student with nothing but possibilities ahead of him.
His is however, not a selfish venture, as he says he writes to create a better, God-fearing community, and a generation full of hope.
“I believe in the power of the written word. The word has no expiration date. Also sharing my stories with other people is a way of spreading hope, the hope that a bleak beginning does not always mean a bleak ending. I wish more people would be as generous with their own life stories as there is no telling how much hope and encouragement others can derive from their experiences,” Zengeni said.
Through his poetry, Zengeni addresses real social issues. As someone who has seen life through both the lens of people who are struggling to make ends meet and now as part of the academia community, Zengeni is able to effectively communicate the truths of society.
“When I speak of the voice in exile, I am not speaking of a physical exile. This exile is an exile of the soul. The soul and the heart that do not have their freedom! They are living in pain day and night. Hence, they turned their burden into a voice that speaks out to the world, the things that the world are seeing and closing their eyes and go. Therefore, the title is adopted from the pains of the soul and the heart that longs to be heard because the world has forsaken them,” Zengeni told Sunday Life.
The Voice in Exile includes poems about spirituality, age, growth, love, all categorised into the four major themes and topical issues of social justice, gospel, love and political mindset. In each theme, Zengeni seeks to address different issues.
Apart from writing poetry, Zengeni is a full time Politics and Public Management student at Midlands State University as well as the founder of Good Hope Foundation, a charity organisation which he founded last year.