14-year old learner publishes Christian novel

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Ntiyiso Mukhari, a Grade eight learner at Northern Academy in Polokwane, a school managed by independent education group Curro Holdings, has just become a published author. At the tender age of 14, she launched her debut book, Life’s Journey, on 29 June.
Ntiyiso spent six months writing a Christian novel. Life’s Journey deals with a young girl, Jessie’s struggles growing up. Wanting to just live a normal life, she unfortunately has to contend with a multitude of challenges, including child abuse and abduction, while gradually finding her path to God.
Why did Ntiyiso decide to write a book when there are so many other things to do as a teenager? For her it is about breaking personal boundaries and creating a trend among her peers and readers to live life to its fullest. She believes many of her peers are not doing enough to constructively contribute to their own life visions, and by writing this book she wishes to inspire them. She is also trying to encourage parents to be more supportive of their children’s dreams.
Indeed, writing the novel wasn’t an easy task. At times she stopped for weeks, delayed by her own worries and fears. However, it was her parents who kept her on track, motivating her not to give up. Additionally, she also found resolve through consistently reading the Bible and praying.
Her love of the English language was nurtured at Northern Academy, and it was her educators that pushed her to help realise her dream of becoming a novelist. For her, being at school is about so much more than just academics, and she feels that Northern Academy allows her to unpack her talents, which includes writing.
Ntiyso is the type of learner Northern Academy is trying to cultivate through the Curro group’s #Learners2Leaders campaign. “Ntiyiso Mukhari is an inspiration not just to her fellow learners, but also to members of the greater Polokwane community and the youth of our country. We are immensely proud of her and her achievement, and look forward to what is still to come from this author’s pen,” Andries Greyling, Curro Holdings CEO said.
Life’s Journey retails for R150 a copy. For more information, contact the author on 082 979 9027.