Saiba hopes to inspire through her poetry
With August being Women’s Month, POST highlights high achievers, community activists and youth making a difference via their words
WHEN Preetha Maharaj received a call from someone in London concerning publishing her teenage daughter’s book, she got anxious.
The Witbank mother of three did not know whether someone had been playing a prank on her.
She then approached her 13-yearold daughter Saiba, who admitted she had been trying to get her poems published.
Four months later and the teenager has been published. Her anthology of poems, Silence Your Soul For None, recently earned her a Girl Child award at a Sunrise Women event in Nelspruit.
The HTS Witbank School pupil, now gearing to publish her second anthology, says she discovered her passion for writing two years ago.
“I was approaching becoming a teenager and was going through all sorts of emotions. When I was upset or angry, I wrote down my feelings. After completing a few poems, I knew I wanted to have them published. I was nervous to speak to my parents about this and ended up emailing publishers from around the world,” says Saiba.
Her mother adds: “After the call, I read her work and it brought out different emotions in me. I realised Saiba had potential and while the cost of publishing in London was high, we contacted the local Mecs Publishing, which strives to assist authors realise their dreams.” Since being published in May, 400 copies have been sold, mostly in Durban.
Saiba, who has aspirations of becoming a biologist or lawyer, says she was “blown away” when she won the award.
“It’s actually really funny. Before the winner was announced, I prayed that I did not win, as I was scared of going on stage and falling because I was in heels. But when my name was called out, I was so excited. I made my way up and collected it without hassles. This award is definitely the first of many for me. It’s inspiring because it recognises the importance of women in all spheres of life and my award means I am doing something right and I feel inspired to do more.”
The Sunrise Women Awards are aimed at honouring pioneering, spirited women who are doing their best to make a change in society.