The 15-year-old Deering High School student said she writes a lot for herself, but performing in public seemed like a crazy idea.
On Sunday, Abwoch will take the stage with the other members of Say It Loud, a hip-hop and spoken-word group for young women.
The group will perform as part of a social justice event, called Malcolm and Martin: Transforming Our Community Through Human Rights and Economic Justice, at the University of Southern Maine.
They'll also hold a solo performance on May 25 at 1 Longfellow Square.
Though Say it Loud has been active for several years, it is rebuilding after a winter when the program's fate was uncertain.
On a recent day this week, the five-member group practiced routines, trying hard to remember lines and overcome fits of laughter.
Marita Kennedy-Castro, who has been working with the girls for 10 weeks, said she has tried to expose the group to the various elements of hip-hop culture -- DJing, MCing, dancing and art. They've also worked with MCs such as Bread, Sontiago and Saiyid.
In recruiting girls for the program, Kennedy-Castro tried to appeal to their desire to express themselves.
Rap and the spoken word provide a venue to say "whatever you've always wanted to get off your mind and let people hear," Kennedy-Castro said.
Hawa Mohamud, 15, said it was a tough sell in the beginning.
"At first I wasn't really feeling it," said Mohamud, who also goes to Deering High.
That changed when they started working with other artists, writing and getting familiar with microphones.
Michee Jean, 15, said it can be hard to come up with something to write about.
Still, writing was not as tough as the first time they performed.
"It was like, the mic is right here," Jean said. "It was scary the first time."
Over the last several years, Say It Loud has reached into Portland's immigrant communities to help young women find ways to express themselves.
The program had been run by the Center for Cultural Exchange, and the building's sale last year threatened to leave Say It Loud without a home.
Earlier this year, the program was resurrected by Add Verb Productions, a theater-and-arts nonprofit organization that focuses on social change.
Cathy Plourde, executive director of Add Verb, said Say It Loud was a natural fit for Add Verb's mission of creative expression as a way to raise awareness of social issues.
The program is funded through a grant from the National Recreation Foundation. Plourde said the organization is searching for grants to create a program for boys this year.
Say It Loud, Plourde said, gives girls the opportunity to learn more about themselves and tell that to the rest of the world.
"It's who they are as people that's different than a statistic or demographic," she said.
As they prepare for their upcoming shows, group members slowly are making their way to confidence, the kind that comes with hours of working together.
Mohamud said working together, writing together and being on stage has brought them closer together.
Jean said the girls are proud of their work and think it will send a message to people.
"It lets people know I can do these things and that I'm stronger than I look," Jean said.
Staff Writer Justin Ellis can be contacted at 791-6380 or at
jellis@pressherald.com
Reader comments
Click here to view or add comments on this story
Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form