UDS Medical Student and poet shines on International Literary Stage

The chapters in the story of the African dream are inexhaustible. Each day, month, and year presents us with an invaluable invitation to add to history; to lend our voices in telling and retelling what Africa is and is not.

When this opportunity knocked for Poet Kearls, he embraced it with unwavering resolve.

Poet Kearls, born Samuel Issifu, is a fast-rising Ghanaian poet currently in the 3rd year of his medical studies at the University for Development Studies, Tamale. He also holds Executive Diplomas in International Healthcare Administration and Advanced International Human Resource Management.

Kearls is a prolific writer armed with the zeal to rewrite Africa's story of tragedy into a story of melody. When he dared to tread the unfamiliar path of poetry in 2018, he did so with the commitment to rekindle the hope of the African dream through writing and performance.

For someone with such a passion for change, his recent feat internationally in the 2023 Edition of the African Regional Auscultate Magazine resonates as a symphony heralding an imminent and resplendent dawn.

The Ghanaian Poetic Sensation has once again brought national pride in a moment of literary triumph, as his poem: "HIV/AIDS - The Ageless Serpent of Health and Wealth," is featured in the 2023 Edition of one of Africa's biggest creative coalitions and publications, the Auscultate Magazine, alongside remarkable writers from four (4) African Countries, namely: Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Rwanda.

In his verses, Kearls unravels the historical tapestry of HIV/AIDS, interweaving threads of misery with the strands of hope sown by scientific progress.

The African Regional Auscultate Magazine, as the name suggests, is an annual African Regional publication.

It is produced by one of the world's oldest health organizations—the International Federation of Medical Students' Association (IFMSA), a non-profit, non-governmental organization representing associations of medical students worldwide. Founded in 1951, IFMSA currently knits together 139 National Member Organizations from 130 countries across six continents. This represents a formidable network of 1.3 million medical students.

It is imperative to note that this isn't the first international recognition of the Ghanaian Poet. Earlier this year, in January, he made his country proud by being the only Ghanaian to have his poem titled: "Destiny whilst holding the Pen," featured in the 3rd Edition of the African Writers Round Table (AWRT) magazine in Zimbabwe.

The African Writers Round Table Magazine is a global hub of creative brilliance, that captures the narratives of great minds across the length and breadth of Africa. In this edition, Poet Kearls' narrative was captured in his native language among the resonant voices that echo across the expanse of Africa.

The future and influence of writing in Africa burgeon ceaselessly.

As we witness its continual expansion and elevation, we revel in the pride that our own are an active part of this literary revolution.

Congratulations on your triumph, Poet Kearls!

Your remarkable accomplishment serves as beacon, inspiring the countless budding minds across the continent - especially those navigating the intricate paths of health sciences - to confidently explore the vast realms of their abilities across diverse horizons.

For an immersive experience of Poet Kearls' inspiring poem "HIV/AIDS - The Ageless Serpent of Health and Wealth," and to explore the rich content of the African Regional Auscultate Magazine, you can download it via the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mO8qwkxk1ojlRxSX1r4GEmrYS0S0TWiu/view?usp=drivesdk. The featured poem can be found on pages 22 and 23.