Wole Adedoyin interviews Awountsa Tsafac Umel: My Poems Reflect the Struggles, Hopes, and Lived Realities of My Country

WA: CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A POET?
AWOUNTSA: I am AWOUNTSA TSAFAC Umel, an agricultural engineer by training and a Master’s student in Social and Solidarity Economy. I am passionate about social impact, rural development, and human rights. Although my academic path is rooted in agricultural sciences, I have always used writing as a space for expression and advocacy. Poetry, for me, is the bridge between my professional commitments and my artistic sensitivity.

WA: HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS POETRY COMPETITION?
AWOUNTSA: I learned about it through an announcement by a group of young African leaders and human rights advocates. The announcement immediately caught my attention.

WA: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS COMPETITION?
AWOUNTSA: I saw it as an opportunity to turn my reflections on injustices in Africa into a creative and mobilizing message. I wanted my words to awaken awareness.

WA: WHAT SPECIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE DID YOUR POEM FOCUS ON?
AWOUNTSA: It addresses political violence, violations of freedom of expression, ethnic discrimination, and the urgent need for justice, peace, and reconciliation.

WA: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THAT PARTICULAR HUMAN RIGHTS THEME FOR YOUR POEM?
AWOUNTSA: Because it deeply resonates with what many African communities, including my own, are experiencing—conflicts, repression, ethnic divisions, but also a youth longing for something better.

WA: CAN YOU SHARE THE INSPIRATION OR STORY BEHIND YOUR SUBMITTED POEM?
AWOUNTSA: It was born from the pain of witnessing and experiencing violence and injustice during the anglophone crisis that began in 2016 in Cameroon. But it also came from my conviction that beyond the scars, Africa can rise again through forgiveness, solidarity, and justice.

WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR POETIC STYLE OR APPROACH TO WRITING ON SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES?
AWOUNTSA: I use a narrative and imagery-rich style that alternates between denouncing injustice and calling for hope and collective action.

WA: WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILE WRITING YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS COMPETITION?
AWOUNTSA: The hardest part was finding the balance between expressing the pain and inspiring hope—without falling into despair or naïve idealism.

WA: HOW DO YOU THINK POETRY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA?
AWOUNTSA: Poetry gives a voice to the voiceless, touches emotions where technical reports fall short, and can mobilize communities across linguistic and cultural barriers.

WA: IN WHAT WAYS HAS PARTICIPATING IN THIS COMPETITION CHANGED OR BROADENED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN RIGHTS?
AWOUNTSA: It reminded me that human rights are not only legal concepts but lived realities, and that the arts can be powerful tools for change.

WA: WERE THERE ANY OTHER POEMS OR POETS IN THE COMPETITION THAT PARTICULARLY MOVED OR INSPIRED YOU?
AWOUNTSA: Yes, some pieces struck me with their raw sincerity and their ability to capture collective pain using simple yet powerful words.

WA: WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR POEM?
AWOUNTSA: That Africa has the strength to rise not through violence, but through justice, forgiveness, and unity.

WA: HOW HAS THIS COMPETITION HELPED SHAPE YOUR GROWTH AS A POET AND AS A HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE?
AWOUNTSA: It encouraged me to use writing more systematically as an advocacy tool and connected me with a pan-African community of changemakers.

WA: DO YOU BELIEVE POETRY HAS A UNIQUE ROLE IN CREATING AWARENESS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES? WHY?AWOUNTSA: Yes—because it reaches the heart before the mind, and that is often where deep change begins.

WA: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE COMPETING WITH POETS FROM OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES?AWOUNTSA: Enriching and inspiring. It showed me that despite our differences, we share many stories and aspirations.

WA: WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE EXPERIENCES AND THE THEMES YOU EXPLORE IN YOUR POETRY?
AWOUNTSA: My poems are often fueled by what I have seen, lived, or heard: rural work, inequality, youth searching for opportunities, and the wounds and hopes of my country.

WA: WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR POETRY WILL HAVE ON BOTH AFRICAN SOCIETIES AND THE GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS MOVEMENT?
AWOUNTSA: I hope it inspires people to reject fatalism, embrace peaceful solutions, and see human dignity as non-negotiable.

WA: HOW DO YOU PLAN TO CONTINUE USING POETRY AS A TOOL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY?
AWOUNTSA: By publishing more works, participating in workshops, and integrating poetry into community awareness activities.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FUTURE ENTRANTS OF THIS COMPETITION?
AWOUNTSA: Write with authenticity, draw from your own experiences, and let your heart speak first.

WA: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY UPCOMING POETRY PROJECTS OR PUBLICATIONS YOU’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
AWOUNTSA: I am working on a collection of poems centered on peace, social justice, and sustainable development, and I plan to organize writing workshops in rural areas.

Awountsa Tsafac Umel, the third prize winner of the African Human Rights Poetry Competition, is an agricultural engineer and recent graduate of the University of Dschang, Cameroon. He is deeply passionate about social impact, rural development, and the promotion of human rights. With a background that combines technical agricultural expertise and community engagement, Umel channels his creativity into poetry, using it as a tool to give voice to the marginalized, challenge injustice, and inspire collective action. In this interview with Wole Adedoyin, he speaks about his work, his inspiration, and his passion for writing poetry.