As a writer and lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire, United Kingdom, Dr Allwell Uwazuruike’s focus is not only on lecturing and writing books; he has ventured into philanthropy.
The author of a rights book on Africa is fast becoming a name within the Nigerian and African literary circles since he founded Afritondo, an online platform for African and black minority writers. The young don appears not resting on his oars, given his recent sojourn into philanthropy.
The essayist, who co-founded Afritondo with his brother, Confidence Uwazuruike, in August, 2019, was motivated into giving back to his community by the need to create a literary space for young and up-and-coming writers in Africa and the diaspora.
He has, in a matter of months, grown the Afritondo audience, which cuts across Africa, Europe, and America. The growth of the platform, he says, was further spurred by its launch, in October 2019, of a $1000 short story prize competition for the best short fiction by an African writer. “Over 400 writers from 19 countries entered the competition, which was eventually won by a South African, Jarred Thompson.
In a recent virtual chat, Allwell Uwazuruike says Afritondo intervention “is necessary to provide the necessary resources to young writers who may not have the same opportunities as their Western counterparts.”
The young don is not limiting his centre of interest to only uplifting the African literary world. “In May, 2020, I commenced monthly cash disbursements to indigent Nigerians via my Instagram and Facebook pages. The disbursements were to help relieve hardship among individuals and families most affected by the COVID-19 lockdown.”
His venture into philanthropy, he says, was out of empathy and some of the personal stories he heard of people who were hungry and starving as a direct consequence of the lockdown. “I was touched by their stories and decided to do something about it,” he hints, adding that he plans an upcoming start-up initiative for entrepreneurs in the coming months.
He notes that there is an interlink between literature and philanthropy. “For me, the two are interlinked in that our sojourn into the literary world has an element of philanthropy around it. We want to give a voice to talents that would otherwise not have had that opportunity. We want them to win prizes and share their stories with the rest of the world. While, on the side of philanthropy, some people lack basic things like food, others, in the area of writing, lack opportunities or a platform from which to launch themselves. Both are interconnected,“ he reiterates.
“As a lecturer cum writer, I always ask myself what and how I can contribute to society, especially to those most in need. I always ask whether I have done everything that I can and whether there is more to be done. In doing this, I do not necessarily seek to imitate anyone or recreate a character. I just act according to my conscience and principles.”
He also has plans in the future to launch an initiative that will provide grants for young entrepreneurs and small businesses, including those in the publishing industry. For him, the nexus between literature and philanthropy is for him an going venture. At the moment, he can only help twenty to thirty people each month. “It gives me great joy to bring smiles to their faces, no matter how few. With each month, the numbers climb.
He says writers can be more relevant in the COVID-19 and its post era by doing what they do best, which is to write, “ Hopefully, the events around COVID 19 can inspire an array of books and stories that we’ll be reading about in years to come. Interestingly, the pandemic does not appear to have dampened people’s desire to read. Instead, it appears that people have taken the time spent indoors to fall back on their favourite books,” Uwazuruike reasons.
He, however, urges authors to keep writing. He says, “The situation may not be encouraging, especially for those across Africa who do not have the necessary resources and enabling environment, but they should find motivation, for, in moments of chaos and pandemics, writers are often in a position to bring hope, succour, and imagination to the reader.”