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Brilliant author and mother of two teen authors Nomawele Njongo has put together yet another Funda Mpondo Literary Festival.
Nomawele Njongo is a founder and sole director of the first ever rural-based publishing company called KwaziThina Publishers, which is named after her two teen author sons Kwazi and Thina who both started writing books at the age of 13 and 15. She says her two sons inspired her to develop the Africa Teen Authors Book initiative.
“Kwazi and Thina inspired me to develop a writing project called Africa Teen Book Initiative that was created to promote writing in Africa by teenagers in Africa and to promote pan-Africanism. That also inspired me to start a writing programme called Esgela SA Learners Book Initiative created to promote reading and writing African stories in South African schools which I piloted in Toli high school and Toli now have their own book.” Said Njongo.
In her Esgela SA project, Nomawele Is working with school learners to normalize the love of reading and writing in learners. She also invited some schools from around Lusikisiki to attend the Funda Mpondo literary festival.
A 13-year-old grade 9 learner who was thrilled about being at the event said, “I love reading books and I dream of one day writing my own books, coming here to the literary festival I learned here that I should never give up on my dreams. Whatever dreams I have I must never give up on them and whatever I do I must do it with determination.” Said Vusi Sidumo.
The event is meant to foster the attitude of learning in the Amampondo nation as well as imparting knowledge to other nations while also learning from nations.
Born in emaMpondweni herself Njongo says it only makes sense why the event had to be hosted in Lusikisiki her hometown.
“I was born here and that is the legacy I have to leave for my people. This is a legacy for the people of emaMpondweni.” Njongo added.
Since the Funda Mpondo literary festival was hosted by an author who also owns a publishing company. One would assume that the festival was only about books but in actuality the festival was about everything that promotes the mental and physical enrichment of the Amampondo people. From issues of land, the heritage of AmaMpondo and the economy of the nation.
As a nation the Amampondo have fertile soil and are known for the cultivation of Cannabis, however the plant is not generating any income for the nation because of legal issues with growing the plant in large quantities.
A company known as Nongo’s joint was at the event to educate and demonstrate to the people the beneficial uses of Cannabis. Important uses such as making building bricks from hemp, making fabrics, ropes and a lot of other valuable items all made from the cannabis plant.
“ln the three past SONA’s the president has announced that cannabis has the potential to unlock the economy of the country it then becomes very important to educate people about the importance of Cannabis in terms of what it can do for the country’s GDP and job creation. So now it’s for society to formalize those kinds of jobs but also organisations such as SAHPRA who are responsible for licensing to ensure that indigenous knowledge holders have access to those permits because we’ve seen the entry barriers are high.” Said Daniel Motona known as The General.
