By SARAH KINGON
GRADE 8 pupil Redempta Rugeiyamu is turning heads and pages with the launch of her first book ‘Luciana and the Seven Magical Rings’.
The 14-year-old author moved from Botswana to South Africa this year and wowed Merrifield school with the publication of her book after only enrolling at the school a month ago.
Born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition that impairs the control of movement due to damage of the developing brain, teachers gave Redempta’s parents little hope that she would be able to write competently, let alone author a book at 14.
“Her Grade 4 teachers told us she wouldn’t be able to write properly because of her condition. She struggled with her fine motor skills. But she is an overcomer. She can now write like any other kid her age,” said Redempta’s father, Theo Rugeiyamu.
With a beaming smile, Redempta excitedly explained her love for putting pen to paper: “I love writing because I get to express myself through the writing of information and using my imagination. I wrote my first story for a creative writing essay at school. When I showed it to my teacher she said, ‘Wow! Your story is wonderful!’ So my hobby took off from there,” said Redempta.
But Redempta has not only needed to overcome the physical limitations of her disorder but also bullying at her previous school because of her condition. After struggling to fit in at her school in King William’s Town, where she lives with her parents, she moved to Merrifield, where she is beginning to fit in.
She will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her book to foundations and institutions in Africa that take care of children with Cerebral Palsy.
“I was bullied because of my condition, so writing helps to calm me. I want to help others suffering from Cerebral Palsy and show them that they are not alone.”
Her book is a fantasy-adventure which appeals best to primary school children or pre-teens. After reading the first few chapters, which are available online at amazon.com or bookstore.kidpub.com, I was impressed with Redempta’s rich description of characters. Each scene is carefully set up, with a clear plot, which leaves readers wanting to know what will happen next.
“I close my eyes and imagine the characters as they develop in my mind. It took a few years to write the book, but I wrote it bit by bit,” said Redempta, who said she also battled with a bit of writer’s block.
Redempta shared some advice for other aspiring authors: “Just read. It is the key element to your success in writing. It’s going to be hard in coming up with a story but it won’t be that difficult. Just visualize your characters and take paper and write it all down.”
Join Redempta for her book launch on 11 September at Merrifield school, details to follow. She will also be selling copies at the school market day on 19 September from 9am-2pm. She heads back to Botswana on 28 September to launch the book at Thornhill Primary School, where she was schooled while writing the book.
Published in Go! & Express community newspaper on 20 August 2015.
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