Author pens book on love

THROUGH counselling others in their relationships, Umbilo resident, Richard T. La Colombe, felt he needed to pen a book to give insight to the brokenhearted, hope to wounded ‘soldiers of love’ and to prevent those running into trouble in relationships from losing what is precious, love.

Richard, who is a relationship and HIV/Aids counsellor, educator, freelance journalist and preacher, sat down to write the book, Can I find love again? after thinking about his own life and marriage. It took two months to complete.

“Through my own life experiences of living without my parents’ love and affection, being a refugee from the DRC and later being challenged in my marriage, I felt I needed to write something down. I sat from 9am and didn’t get up until 2pm, and was already 27 pages in! I had a shower, ate something and continued writing from 4pm to 9pm! It just flowed. The book is related to my life and my experiences from counselling sessions where I have advised people in their relationships. I could feel what they were feeling and had to put it down in a book to help others,” he said.

Richard said the original book was much longer, but that it would now be published in two further editions. This first book is to encourage people to realise that even after heartbreak, they can find love again, once they are happy without it.

The next edition focuses on children who are victims of divorce and separation and the third edition will focus on people living with HIV/Aids who have lost family members and loved ones, to encourage them that they will be loved again.

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Richard is the founder of Durban-based NPO Child of Africa which he founded in 2014. He has been involved with NPOs since 2001, when he started an NPO in the DRC to support children living with HIV. He moved to South Africa and worked for an NPO in Overport called the African Health Provider, and started a branch in Flamingo Court in 2009 where he counselled people. He studied HIV Management via correspondence through Stellenbosch University, completing his qualifications in 2014. He has worked as a school counsellor and educator and a preacher, having studied theology.

The Child of Africa offices at 35A Kensington Gardens, 303 Bartle Road, offer HIV/Aids and relationship counselling, as well as operating as an aftercare from 1pm to 5pm where Richard and his staff help children with their homework.

“As a counsellor I always encourage people to work hard at fixing their relationships, it’s not all roses. You need to work at relationships and fix them if you can. If you can’t, you can’t move forward. This book is a true story of people who I have counselled. Marriage is God’s institution and I aim to write and publish a book on marriage next, as I have learnt a lot through my troubles in marriage,” he said.

The book can be found at Adams, Victoria Street, Christian Connect Resources in Anton Lembede Street, Queensmead Video at Queensmead Mall and Day Spring at 475 King Dinizulu Road. For the month of February, there is a Valentine’s special of R70 for the book, which usually sells at R128. Contact Richard on 078 524 9578.

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