06 Apr 2022

Primary School teacher, Kelly Ntoi has shared life experience through her 80-paged compilation of short stories titled All that Glitters. 

While the book is about her transition from childhood to adulthood, the writer also highlights the beauty of parenting especially male parents and their contribution towards the upbringing of their children.

Having brought up by her father  after she lost her mother in 2006, Ntoi said she grew up under the guidance of her father.

She said most readers were likely to relate with the book as it focuses on daily life issues.   The book setting is in Maipaafela cattle post, with characters being her siblings Masedi and Lebone who wandered off into the bush to play until sunset.

The play ended badly as one got injured and that taught them a lesson that one should  know better to avoid the same mistakes in future. Apart from the book’s appealing illustrations it is also a great read.

 It gives the reader a synopsis of  her life from childhood to adulthood while highlighting her career and accomplishments. Through the book, she offers advise to the youth who are faced with a myriad of challenges.  In an interview recently following the book’s launch in Serowe , the Mmaphashalala native  said she wanted to make her father proud because he had imparted good traits on her.

She pulled through the years until her graduation from the University of Botswana in 2015.        

As a passionate writer, she said she had written stories on sports especially football and athletics and was also an advocate for children’s rights and women and girls empowerment in general.

The 37-year-old said the stories were inspired by her life experiences, from Mmaphashalala,  Selebi Phikwe and from different people she met including those who were going through similar situations.

“I went through ‘thick and thin’ in life and therefore had learnt a lot, and credits my father for always being there, hence the name All that Glitters,” she said.

She observed that some people lacked the confidence to tackle their challenges and therefore it was against this backdrop that she penned the book.

“I love this book, and want to share life lessons with Batswana. My dad will always have a special place in my heart because he always showed me love, even when I was naughty.

He always respected my feelings,’’she said.

She said fathers played a key role in their daughters’ psychological development from the moment they were born.

She said a girl’s relationship with her fathers’ could determine their ability to trust, and self-belief.

Her intention is to write a life changing book not to make profit.

Proceeds from the book would assist disadvantaged school going children in Paje and Tshimoyapula.

Ntoi has organised a football tournament at her village, especially for young men so that they spend more time playing rather than engaging in wayward behaviour.

She also participate in charitable activities such as helping the needy and orphans. She is also a gender Based Violence (GBV) activist.

Inspired by American writer, Linda Superville, Ntoi promised to publish her second book soon.

It took her 20 years to publish All That Glitters, which she started writing  while a form 5 student, but took forever to publish due to some challenges beyond her control.  ENDS