Poems by Robert Omondi

Introduction
By Elizabeth Ombati, CIC-K

Robert is a performing artist, creative, thinker. He composed this poem wanting to narrate the experiences that a dearly loved friend of Robert’s faced. This poem was a winning entry in a poetry competition organized by the Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights. In my mind, I think of the human rights violations faced within communities, and of course within institutions as well; the existence of it, and what can we do about it? This poem speaks to those violations.

Setting the Context

By Robert Omondi

This poem is about how communities as a collective can be enablers of violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of persons with psychosocial disabilities.

It was written after a first-hand observation and witnessing the experiences a friend (who was later diagnosed with psychosis) went through and the heartbreaking response the surrounding community gave instead during his episodes.

It was significant to see the human in him (far from the tags given) when he broke down in tears after the ordeals they took him through, those tears as heavy as they fell, with each falling drop, a much more heavier message rose; We, persons with psychosocial disabilities, are not any less of humans and our rights and freedom are not a privilege or an ask but totally inherent and inalienable, so is the call for inclusive communities.

‘Stares, Whispers, Wounds and Prayers’ mirrors two sides doing the same thing but on different context, one side totally mislead, the other side totally needs to be heard.