Born 1990, Nametso Dorothy Phonchi, affectionately known to her audience as “Poetess Phopho’’, was born and raised in Lobatse, Botswana. She is a BA Sociology and Environmental Science graduate from the University of Botswana. She is currently a Barclays- F.G Mogae 2014 scholar, pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Economics stream at the University of Botswana. Because of her diverse nature, she is currently an intermediate level student at the Confucius Institute at the University of Botswana studying Mandarin Chinese, also pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in French Language through the AMITY UNIVERSITY e-network learning programme.
As part of giving back to the society, she has volunteered with organizations such as Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA), Humana People to People Botswana and Bird Life International Botswana.
She is a spoken word artist and a published poet, a Christian woman, a mentor, and a multilingual African child. She is the current Publicity Manager of Poetry Society-University of Botswana. Her writing and work emanates from the need to shouting the inner voice, speaking untold stories and voicing out stories of the gospel. She started performing poetry at the age of 16, at social celebrations. Her devotion to pen and paper elevated her to new platforms by later reciting weekly at the UB writer’s workshop, Poetry Society Wednesdays, and monthly at ‘Soul Poetry’ and ‘Poets Passport’ at Gaborone National Museum.
She has since then performed in poetry events such as the International Women’s day poetry event 2012, hosted by Alliance Francaise, the 1st and 2nd annual Multilingual Poetry Festival in November 2012 and 2013, gracing both events with multilingual poems and a Chinese song. She was a team member in the Tshwetso Poetry and Photography project, a joint project by the Botswana Society for the Arts and South East Entertainment to raise HIV/AIDS awareness in December 2013 to February 2014. She also performed at the Poetry against Poverty 2014, a charity event by Botswana artists and Angelous Society. She performed at the 1st Word live 2014 Gaborone hosted by Drea Chuma. The Poet has joined hands with other spoken word poets and Ann Gollifer, for a painting and poetry project themed ‘OMANG’ at Sophi Lalonde Art gallery in February 2015. She recently, she graced the Maitisong Festival 2015 at Thapong Visual arts Center and at the closing ceremony in Molapo Piazza.
Her writings kills were recognized in November 2013, scooping the first prize in a Chinese Poetry competition organized by the Confucius Institute at University of Botswana. She was awarded 4th world-wide prize in the WINDOWS TO CHINA & WINDOW OF SHANGHAI WRITING CONTEST 2012 (Shanghai get together 2012). In June 2015 three of her Poems where published on The Kalahari Review, an international online journal where African stories are told by African writers.
A performance she made at the Youth Arts and Aids festival open mic in recognition of the Month of Youth against AIDS March 2013 was later described in a local newspaper (Mmegi) column as rather ‘profound’. She has also been published in local News- Papers such as Mmegi Monitor and The Global Post.
Whether hated or loved, her poems will always be remembered for drawing inspiration for the old and young, black and white, rich or poor. She is mostly passionate about God, love, music, women and children and society which is where most of her poems draw from. Her poetry is inspired by rather seeing and hearing on a daily basis. With her book and pens, she aspires to lead future generations with poetry before her journey of lives comes to an end.
Often times she gets questions of why and how she writes and she has answered in her poem…