Dar es Salaam. Author and advocate Aisha Kingu has called for the establishment of a national forum to identify, mentor and support talented young Tanzanians, saying such an initiative would help turn individual abilities into a resource for national development.
Speaking in an interview following the launch of her latest poetry book, Sing Gratitude, Ms Kingu said the country needed a structured mechanism to help gifted youths realise their potential.
"A national forum would provide a centralised, institutional framework to identify, mentor and fund talented Tanzanian youths. It would turn individual abilities into a collective resource that boosts national development at both national and international levels," she said.
Her remarks follow calls by Chief Justice George Masaju during the book launch for greater recognition and utilisation of local talent.
Ms Kingu welcomed the Chief Justice's observations, saying talent should be nurtured from the family level through to national institutions.
"Nurturing talent requires a long-term strategy, community investment and the right infrastructure so that young Tanzanians do not let their gifts go to waste," she said.
The advocate, diplomat and poet said hard work, discipline and consistency were more important than talent alone in achieving lasting success.
"Talent may get someone noticed, but hard work, consistency and taking the right opportunities transform a gift into long-term success," she said, encouraging young people to pursue their ambitions with determination.
Ms Kingu, who has published six books, said she began writing poetry while in primary school after receiving encouragement from her teacher, Yasinta Mwambashi, at Olympio Primary School in Dar es Salaam.
She said she had maintained contact with her former teacher, describing mentors as instrumental in shaping the lives of young people.
Among her published works are Poetry Rebirth, A Day with a Quote, Dear Paula, United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (English and Kiswahili editions), and her latest collection, Sing Gratitude.
Ms Kingu said all her books are self-published and that she has donated copies to schools and orphanages to promote a reading and writing culture among young people.
She also endorsed a proposal by Chief Justice Masaju to include works by Tanzanian authors in primary and secondary school curricula, saying it would expose learners to local literary voices while strengthening both Kiswahili and English language skills.
The Chief Justice launched Sing Gratitude at a ceremony held at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam, where he described Ms Kingu as a talented writer whose work should inspire other young Tanzanians.
