I want to be a doctor.
I want to be a teacher.
I want to be a soldier.
I want to be a mother.
What do you want to be?
My dreams say,
I will be the next Winnie Mandela,
My right fist pumped high up in the air,
Screaming, fighting and shouting for freedom,
I will sing, “Mayibuye iAfrika!”
Who do you wish to be?
Mother Teresa is who I wish to be.
Just like her, I want to travel the world,
From city to city, continent to continent,
Spreading goodness, love, peace and happiness,
And ensuring both boys and girls never hurt one another.
Do you know who you will be when you grow up?
I will be anything and everything
That I was created to be.
Just like my grandmother used to say,
“Nothing is impossible in this universe.”
That’s exactly who I’m going to be,
Miss Make-it-all-Possible.
With my beautiful golden smile,
I will light up the forests of the African continent.
With my dark chocolate skin,
I will cultivate the beauty within the young Kings and Queens of Africa.
And finally, with my Afro Crown that never wavers,
I will turn heads until I leave a mark.
After all, I am the future of Africa.
Read – I’ll Never Give Up – Children’s Poetry by Lisa Ndobho, Tanzania
Read – Tapiwanashe Nyabvure: The 13-year-old Award-Winning Poet