12 May 2019

Once in a lifeltime, only a few people find the courage to fight against life adversities and reach for the stars.

Dimpho Motshabi is a living testimony of the few who decided to make lemonade when life threw lemons at him.

Motshabi endured what he termed as a painful upbringing experience; a life passage that has now earned him many titles.

In an interview, the 34-year-old narrates his painful experience, which some may see as a blessing in disguise.

Motshabi was raised by his mother alongside his older sister.

It was his dream to complete his studies and make his mother proud like any other child would wish to.

His mother was the pillar of his life; the only parent he knew of since birth when his father was nowhere to be found. Life with the care of a single parent was not all sweet for Motshabi.

Motshabi’s mother lived off sacrifices from one temporary job to another just to try make ends meet and make sure there was food on the table and clothes to wear.

In 1999, when Motshabi was preparing to start junior school, his mother passed on and the world he said became a cold callus place for him.

“You can imagine how it feels when one tells you that your only source of oxygen had shut down!”

I was confused, had so much fear and at the same time felt numb but again, not a single word would add up to what I was really feeling and still am,” he reminisced.

Born in Mochudi, Motshabi had lost not just a mother but a friend and now had to stay with his sister who was without a job and had to look up to her for support.

Losing his mother at a tender age and not having any meaningful inheritance to cater for his upbringing, Motshabi suffered severe emotional pain.

Motshabi said there were days he would sleep without food and miss school as it was hard for his sister to support the both of them.

When his sister support failed, Motshabi was then registered with the Social Welfare and Community Development department and spent his teenage years enrolled on social safety nets as an orphan. Growing up in Palla-camp a very small and unknown settlement in Kgatleng, Motshabi found the courage to use his background as his pillar of strength to carry on.

He knew that, although his mother had passed on, he still had to live by his wish to make her proud and make a living for himself.

In 2004 Motshabi’s determination got him to pursue his tertiary education with the University of Botswana where he later started putting his experiences to paper, penning down two books titled, Reaching for Excellence and Megopolo Ya Botshelo Jwa Phenyo. The books, which are already in circulation, he said were written to arouse humanity to skyrocket hopes despite situations and for people to reach for their best.

“We can dust off our undesirable circumstances provided we are focused, determined, patient and persistent,” Motshabi said.

He said he was currently working on his third book entitled, Bloom and blossom.

The book, he said was inspired by his life motto, aspire to inspire before you expire.

He said the emphasis of the book was on discovering and recovering, flowering and flourishing, aspiring to inspire.

Motshabi found his blessing in disguise as to inspire people to reach for more in relation to good character, goals attainment and for people to reach the anthological purpose of a man, which he said was to live a purposeful life, this all done through his writings.

However, Motshabi said being an author in Botswana was not easy undertaking.

He said Batswana were still to be a reading nation as getting people to read his books in numbers was not easy.

He said signing a deal with publishing companies was expensive as it leaves one with empty pockets, adding that, ‘publishing and printing comes with costs and one needs to be financially fit to realise their dream’.

Motshabi advised upcoming authors that determination, perseverance, networking and research were the key ingredients in the authoring industry.

He said Batswana must preserve literature as it served the nation good in reminding them of the past and present lives and also broadens the scope of thought for a better tomorrow.

Besides being an author, Motshabi is a self-appointed motivational speaker who has spoken at various gatherings. He also do events, catering and decorations as he has had the privilege to do decorations at Mathangwane for former president Lt Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama as he bid farewell to the nation. ENDs