In 2015 Sasha Campbell from the Knysna Literary Festival invited FunDza to facilitate writing workshops as part of the festival’s outreach programme. Here are some of the bio-poems that came out of the sessions.

***

I am Jared
Humorous, secretive and humble
Who loves my cat, exploring and building
Who fears slender men and Freddy cougar
Who dreams of becoming a wise teacher of physical arts
Who needs money and knowledge to get there
I am Jared
I am Jared Hanbury

***

I am Zoe
Conscientious, bodacious and ruthless
Who loves the night time, Jimi Hendrix and the outdoors
Who fears cannibalism and insomnia
Who dreams of becoming a revolutionary
Who needs the right mindset and self-assurance to get there
I am Zoe
I am Zoe Metelerkamp

***

I am Juan
Sporty, funny and adventurous
Who loves cycling, sports and academics
Who fears heights and snakes
Who dreams of becoming an electronic engineer
Who needs the right education and right mindset to get there
I am Juan
I am Juan Albert Van Rooyen

***

I am Melissa
Ambidextrous, creative and athletic
Who loves art, music and reading
Who fears floods and debases
Who dreams of becoming a famous singer
Who needs money and producer to get there
I am Melissa
I am Melissa Giannone

***

I am Isabelle
Creative, compassionate and imaginative
Who loves intricate writing, reading and imagining
Who fears futuristic stuff and diseases
Who dreams of becoming an author
Who needs words and worlds to get there
I am Isabelle
I am Isabelle Cowie

***

I am Nobuhle
Confidant, motivated and caring
Who loves Monde, Margaret, Thuli and Brain
Who fears balloons and creepy things
Who dreams of becoming a motivational speaker
Who needs happiness and to be proud to get there
I am Nobuhle
I am Nobuhle Mtshali

***

I am Yomi
Friendly, playful and funny
Who loves my parents, my relatives and friends
Who fears snakes and crocodiles
Who dreams of becoming a lawyer
Who needs ideas and money to get there
I am Yomi
I am Yomi Moana

***

I am Emma
Flamboyant, bold and socially outgoing
Who loves drama, water polo and writing
Who fears mathematics and broken toenails
Who dreams of becoming a water polo player and actress
Who needs a deep pool and an Oscar to get there
I am Emma
I am Emma Gibson

***

I am Lanke
Naughty, creative, funny, adventurous and talkative
Who loves smiling, music, daddy, reading and hockey, mathematics, art and spelling
Who fears creepy insects and diseases
Who dreams of becoming an artist, actress, fashion designer, mathematician or technician
Who needs education and laudatory and any industry to get there
I am Lanke
I am Lanke Pupuma

***

I am Asemahle
Loving, Sporty and naughty
Who loves reading, hockey and daddy
Who fears creepy things and diseases
Who dreams of becoming an actress
Who needs family and education to get there
I am Asemahle
I am Asemahle Siyazi

***

I am Leigh
Funny, cheeky and awesome
Who loves horses, people and friends
Who fears snakes and spiders
Who dreams of becoming a famous horse rider
Who needs confidence and motivation
I am Leigh
I am Leigh Paton

***

I am Reece
Fun, awesome and sometimes negative
Who loves the beach, cats and food
Who fears flying in planes and sharks
Who dreams of becoming an engineer
Who needs math’s skills and education to get there
I am Reece
I am Reece Van Woerkom

***

I am Imogen
Creative, logical and weird
Who loves writing, tennis and my awesome friends
Who fears spiders and wobbly benches
Who dreams of becoming a director
Who needs goals and support to get there
I am Imogen
I am Imogen Anderson

******

I am Alexa
Encouraging, bold and fun
Who loves acting, designing and writing and reading
Who fears failure and being alone
Who dreams of becoming a designer and a writer
Who needs encouragement and support to get there
I am Alexa
I am Alexa Shutte

***

I am Jayde
Kind, creative and a hard worker
Who loves drawing, painting and writing
Who fears snakes and losing my family
Who dreams of becoming an architect
Who needs a pencil and paper to get there
I am Jayde
I am Jayde Everitt

***

I am Lest
Calm, creative and an abomination
Who loves reading, nature and photography
Who fears collision and getting shot
Who dreams of becoming a photographer
Who needs creativity and camera to get there
I am Lest
I am Lest Henrick

***