- 10-year-old author Siyavuya Mabece has published a book addressing bullying.
- Titled Enough! Stop Bullying the book addresses both the victim and the bully.
- She hopes to write more books about the issues that affect young people in the future.
She may only be 10 years old, but Siyavuya Mabece has a lot to say about societal issues that affect her peers. One topic she has decided to address is bullying in her book titled Enough! Stop Bullying.
The Johannesburg-born writer, who is the second of four children,speaks to both the bully and the victim in the book. She teaches the bully how their actions affect others' mental health and how those who are bullied also need to take a stand.
“I started writing the book in June 2021 and took the time to research, learn and put the illustrated book together,” she tells TRUELOVE.
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“I have been brainstorming many topics that affect both young and old people alongside my mom Ncebakazi Mabece and dad Zwelakhe Mabece. I wanted to write a book that will be meaningful and helpful for both kids and adults.
“The topic really touched me. Bullying is addressed at schools but it is still an issue. I also noticed how the bullies are neglected and we never get to know or learn why they behave the way they do. So, I decided to address the bully and the victim with the help of the parents,” she explains.
Although she has been fortunate to not have experienced bullying first-hand, Siyavuya says that she’s witnessed the negative effects that bullying has had on her peers.
“I have seen how it affects my peers. How some have fallen into depression at a young age. I know kids attending counselling because they have not been able to cope. I want to help. I have always been outspoken and maybe this is my calling - to help my kids my age and even adults,” she says.
On where her confidence for speaking up for others comes from, the bubbly Grade 4 learner says she was born with it.
“My confidence is a gift. But I also learned from my parents who have always advised me to speak up. They have encouraged me to always voice my thoughts and my feelings. I am gifted with public speaking. I love anything that involves me being in the spotlight, whether it is acting, motivational speaking or talking. Like any young girl, I love dressing up and looking pretty. I also love to read books and singing,” she adds.
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Even though she discovered that writing a book isn't as easy as she thought, with the help of her writing coach Siyavuya hopes to write more meaningful books in the future.
“I worked with writing coach Ondiswa Bumka-Nkosi who helped me to understand how one goes about writing a book. It's not just putting thoughts down, but you also need to have a structure,” she says about the writing process before sharing her goal of writing more books.
“I am currently working on having the book at schools. The book is available online worldwide and is available in bookstores in Zimbabwe. I cannot wait to have it available for every child. People can buy a batch and donate it to schools. But in the future, I would also like to write books about other topics that affect young people,” she concludes.
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