Raise A Man - a poetry collection book.

Photo: Faith Mokgalaka, author of Raise A Man.

Raise A Man is a poetry collection by Faith Khatji Mokgalaka, who was born and bred in Phalaborwa in Limpopo. Faith is currently a student at the University of the Witwatersrand, and also a student leader in the University. She did her lower grades in Sir Harry Oppenheimer Agricultural High School, where she was head girl and chairperson of debate, towards the end of her high school career.

“The book began as a letter to my future son in 2019. When I was writing all these poems that later made it into the book, I didn’t know that at some point they would be read by so many people. In wondering how I could make a difference, how I can change the story of our generation from it being dominated by GBV and domestic violence, I found myself realising, hopelessly that maybe there isn’t a lot we can do to change people’s souls, that maybe the best we can do is to raise our own children better. This is how the poem “Raise a man” came about, this is a poem which is really a set of questions on how to raise a boy into becoming the best version of himself. This is the poem I named the book after”.

What kind of challenges you faced when you started writing your book and prior publishing – also was it easy for you to fund and publish it? “The challenges I faced were mostly trying to convince myself as a first-time publisher that my work is enough, that I am enough as an individual to put myself out there. Being a published author seemed out of reach and therefore unattainable, it took a lot of confidence, courage, and self-belief to go ahead with it, regardless of how many people told me that I should go ahead".

"My grandmother lent me the funds to publish, every cent of it. I remember calling her one morning, telling her I wrote a book and needed so many thousands to publish, without understanding what I was talking about or even knowing whether I would be able to repay her, she went into her mattress

and got the money sent over. I managed to pay her back within 2 weeks of publishing, which was an awesome feeling for me. I am grateful to Koko for believing in me, I will always be”.

Share with us what the book is the about? "The book is themed around healing, parenting, love, and many others. It is written with the belief that; to change the narrative we must raise our children better, our boys and men better, to be exact".

Is your book available is any bookstore – and people who are not where you at, how can they get it and price? "The book is available for only R120 in paperback. I deliver nationwide. It is also available on www.addaxz.co.za they are an online store; they also deliver paperback anywhere in South Africa. The e-book can also be found on www.amazon.com. There is really no excuse".

What kept you going during the past few challenging months? “Reading(recreational), playing chess and cooking for my loved ones. I spent a lot of time learning new recipes and enhancing my craft skills, on days when I was not just trying to survive. There were days when food tasted like giving up and days when I cried myself into sleeping, but I would not want to have it any other way. Otherwise, 2020 has been a beautiful chaos for me, it was a year of learning, prospering, hurting, and growing”.

Lastly – share your MANTRA? “My mantra is “Why?”, in reflecting and introspecting on my days, it matters more to me why I did or did not do somethings as opposed to doing them altogether. I am learning to look for motive in people’s actions too and trying to understand them from the inside out”.

Linkedin: Faith Mokgalaka

Twitter: Faith Khatji

Instagram: FaithKJ

To get a FREE copy of our monthly WhatsApp magazine simply SUBSCRIBE by texting #WhatsAppMag to 0787037820 or click on the link below and text #WhatsAppMag

wa.me/27787037820