POLOKWANE – Civil rights activist, artist, filmmaker, journalist, and social entrepreneur Makwena Manamela has authored a children’s fiction book titled ‘Tiseke’, now available in Braille, Sepedi, Tshivenda, and English. ‘Tiseke’, which means ‘Be Joyful’ tells the story of a seven-year-old girl from South African and Zimbabwean descent, with lineage from other African countries.

The book follows the young girl’s journey as she aspires to become a journalist. Through her illustrated narration, readers are invited to explore her path of self-discovery and the challenges of being understood and accepted.

‘Tiseke’ also aims to educate young readers about Africa’s political and social complexities, encouraging awareness of important issues such as discrimination, Afrophobia, and xenophobia, which often affect children in Africa.

The book, first released in 2023, is a contribution to prioritising Early Childhood Development, according to Manamela.

“I am very intentional about contributing to improving Early Childhood Development in South Africa while also ensuring kids have access to meaningful content.” She said children need to have access to books that reflect their history and address social issues in an engaging and educational way.

Manamela is passionate about addressing the challenges faced by children today. “Most kids are struggling to read and write, and many born in the 2000s tend to copy and paste from AI tools without understanding or even trying to correct the content.”

Having worked in Southern Africa’s media landscape since 2008, Manamela’s vast skills include video production, reporting and writing.

She started her career as a print media intern and later became a producer and reporter for eNews Channel and eNews Africa. In 2016, she founded Deft Multimedia Heads to offer affordable public relations services to upcoming artists and start-up companies.

Now consulting for art organisations in the creative and cultural industries, she continues her work in film and literature while advocating for African children to access authentic content that celebrates their identity and history.