Untold stories of hope
Dumisani Ncube | Friday February 19, 2016 15:29
Having had a stint in the journalism industry and being a well travelled individual, former journalist and philanthropist, Kagiso Madibana, has compiled a series of events that take place in the society in her debut book.Tales from the heart of Botswana: Baareng’s heart is Madibana’s book where she infuses fiction with real life society events that are taking place and that she has personally experienced.
Arts and Culture meet up with the 28-year-old at the lavish Main Deck Pub where she is marketing the book and signing autographs.
Without wasting anytime she gives Arts and Culture a brief summary of the book.
“The book brings together strong diverse characters from different parts of Botswana. These characters have had their fair share of struggles and heartaches, but they eventually find a way to overcome their obstacles.
Their stories, although fictional are relatable and will hopefully help motivate those who are going through a rough patch. The book also brings to light the importance of working hard towards attaining one’s dreams,” she says.
The book touches on subjects such as adoption, poverty, self-dependence, hard work, interracial relations and marriage.
Having said so, Arts and Cultureis interested to know why she decided to work on such a project.
She sits back and looks up and sighs. “Growing up in a reading culture environment, as a loner and someone who travelled much around the country, I have had an opportunity of meeting up with people that have different stories of success, struggle, self dependence and other related issues”.
The book is based in different parts of Botswana such as Selebi-Phikwe, Gaborone and her home village, Bobonong. The book’s title, Baareng is her grandfather’s name.
Growing up in the diamond mining town of Orapa, Madibana was a very lonely child who spent most of her time reading books such as the Nancy Drew collections. Through this, her intellectual and literature mind grew fast.
This also catapulted her to having a Masters Degree in Communication at the age of 24.
Due to Madibana’s love for fantasies, she found it proper to mix real life events and a bit of fiction on Tales from the heart of Botswana: Baareng’s heart to spice it up a bit.
As someone who is also a philanthropist, she wrote the book with an objective of making a change in the society by telling real life stories and stuff that people go through everyday.
“I personally believe that people should be inspired by real life stories unlike these other motivational books that are always talking about making someone rich overnight.
A real life story will make someone relate and also work their way round”.
Madibana is also heading a shoe drive association that helps children without shoes around the country. Through the association she has managed to reach over 400 children in remote areas giving them shoes. The association is called Nayang Association.
With Tales from the heart of Botswana: Baareng’s heart, the Bobonong native is planning on releasing two more editions then she will host literature competitions whereby students will submit stories to be in her forthcoming books.
She however raised concern that local young writers are not taken serious in the country as attention is given to old and established writers. “If you go to bookshops you will only see books written by old people,” she lamented.
Upon completing her book she struggled to get an editor locally to the extent that she had to search for one online who is based in America. “Since my book is based in Botswana the editor struggled with most things that I wrote especially vernacular words.
I feel like the editing field is an open market that people are not banking on,”
She has decided not to work with any publisher as she distributes the book herself. The first journey started this week at Main Deck Pub where she was marketing and signing the book.
It took Madibana a year to write her book after she had quit her job as a communication and broadcasting lecturer at a local university. Upon completing the book, she went through struggles of getting an editor and publisher that could work with her. “I feel much comfortable working as an author”.
The book is also available online on Amazon.