Author revolutionizing the mindset of SA’s young generation

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Moloko Goodwill

In a period of such hardship we have found our economy nearly in the brink of collapse and society shaken to a point where people could not go about daily life. This has led to educational institutions taking their knowledge online to interact with students. However, many parents have spoken out about not knowing what exactly to teach their little ones during their time in home-schooling.

It can be quite frustrating to juggle both the parenting role and the teacher role. During this time of need many people have stepped up to contribute towards bettering the systems of home-learning. Among these amazing world changers is, Moloko Goodwill, the author of an innovative storybook crafted to build the minds of South African children.

Most literary material always seems to be crafted for an adult audience, completely dismissing the fact that a much younger audience also deserves something full of knowledge and brilliant ideas, not just imagination.

Moloko spotted this tiny gap in the book industry and decided that he wanted to fill it a bit. Born and bred in Lerome right in the heart of the North West Province but currently residing in Pretoria, Moloko is a Bcom Economics and International Trade scholar from the North West University with a passion for business and storytelling. This incredible young leader has emerged as one of Gauteng’s finalists in the 2018 National Business Plan competition. Besides his academics, Moloko is a frequent bookshop visitor and an intense consumer of motivational books.

It really didn’t come as a surprise when Moloko announced the release of his new book, as his gift for storytelling is something he got from his grandmother and great-uncle, both renowned Tswana poetry writers with decades long publications of work. Growing up around the both of them he would observe their processes of creating beautiful pieces of work and subconsciously all that knowledge stuck with him.

“I’ve never really considered myself a writer, but now that I think of it, I’ve always had it in me. I’ve learnt a lot from my grandmother and I remember when I was growing up she would always have these writers meetings at our home where they would work on storylines, poems, copy editing and publishing processes. Even though I wasn’t involved in their projects, I was subconsciously learning about the writing world.”

Can you tell us about your new book?

ABIOLA: THE LITTLE BUSINESS GIRL is a children’s business themed storybook for both, girls and boys aged 8 to 11 years old. It’s about a little girl who comes from a disadvantaged home. She would regularly get teased and bullied by her peers at school for the way she dressed and for the little things she couldn’t afford. One day she stumbled upon a great business opportunity that didn’t only change her life, but the lives of everyone in her small community and this was all thanks to her parents’ support and sacrifice.

As much as it’s aimed at an 8 to 11 year old age-group I still would advise parents not to dwell too deeply on that, because I believe that no child is too young to read this book. That’s the thing about advanced learning – you get to introduce children to topics and ideas that the school might feel are beyond the children’s current mental capacity. However, introducing them to these topics and ideas at an early age advances their mental capacity and helps them excel in their academics, surpassing almost all their counterparts.

What would you like this book to accomplish?

My goal is to inspire children to take interest in business and entrepreneurship from an early age and also develop excellent cognitive skills. I am not trying to enforce the idea that every child should be an entrepreneur or a business person, but what I’m trying to do is inspire them to be creative thinkers and effective contributors in whatever field or venture they choose to pursue. This will give them the ability to be flexible and contribute towards creating more employment opportunities. I want to see a generation of job creators and not job seekers. I hope that my way of storytelling will optimise the minds of our children and spark interest for innovation and entrepreneurship. I hope parents can influence their children to be game-changers who do extraordinary things and understand possibilities.

How, exactly, do you think this book can change the mindsets of the younger generation?

I think the first step to changing mindsets of children is to expose them to all possible opportunities and inspire them to be bold enough to take risks. After reading this book, I hope children can see a reflection of themselves in Abiola, and want to be like her. I also hope that parents will take example from Abiola’s parents and support their children’s dreams. I like to say this book is written for the children, but dedicated to the parents. My only wish is that parents get to read this book with their children and help them comprehend the whole idea of the story.

How can one get a hold of this book?

The book is currently available for pre-order at only R99.90 until the 2nd of August, and then from there it will be officially launched and made available at leading book-stores. For anyone who wants to get a copy of the book, send a WhatsApp text to this number: 079 151 8345

You can follow me on Instagram: goodwill_moloko

Facebook: Letlhogonolo G Moloko

By Tebogo J. Mphatswe