NEVENDER LEGACY: Creatives to honour the legacy of prolific writer late Joel Ntwatwa

Creatives from all corners of the country will on Saturday, December 18, 2021 gather to celebrate the ‘Nevender Legacy’ in honour of prolific writer and blogger late Joel Benjamin Ntwatwa.

The celebration will take place at the family of the late in Lukuli, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Better known by his pen name Nevender, Ntwatwa is widely recognised for his contribution to the vibrant literary scene in Uganda. He is seen by many as the visionary that led the Ugandan blogging community.

Unfortunately, his life was cut short in February 2018, after he succumbed to Sickle Cells.

Years after his death, his legacy has lived on to inspire many and it is for this reason that creatives are coming together on Saturday to celebrate their works and to celebrate the great impact Ntwatwa had in their lives and in their creative processes.

On the day, there will be special programmes to celebrate him including; poetry recitals, a discussion on the arts, and a chat with the authors of a biographical book based on Ntwatwa’s life, slated to be published in 2022.

About Late Joel Ntwatwa

Ntwatwa was a digital content and social media specialist as well as an advocate for the sickle cell anaemic communities.

He appeared on NTV Uganda in 2017 to share his story of living with the illness. His work included copywriting and promoting campaigns for companies including Shell/Vivo Energy, Coca Cola/Coke Studio Africa, and The Pearl Guide. He was a scriptwriter for NTV’s Timeline television programme.

Ugandan literary outfits including Babishai Niwe and the 4040 Foundation published his literary works. So Many Stories hosted him at their children’s reading club. Joel also facilitated workshops and conferences on the causes he believed in.

In light of the deep manner in which Ntwatwa influenced both the literary and corporate communities in Uganda, his friends and mentees came together on December 14, 2018 to launch ‘The Nevender Legacy’ as a way of continuing his legacy.

The project consists of a team of 100 individuals, who each since 2018, has committed to giving at least Shs100,000 each year for the five years period (up to 2022), to fund the Nevender Legacy’s 5-year plan to publish Joel’s work in at least 4 print publications, sponsor at least 10 budding writers to attend writer workshops, and to run theatre productions based on Joel’s work.

The friends also welcome new ambassadors and all individuals who are able and willing to donate over and above the Shs 100,000 mark.