Investing in ‘tomorrow’s people’

“OUR children are the rock on which our future will be built, our greatest asset as a nation. They will be the leaders of our country, the creators of our national wealth, those who care for and protect our people.”

This quote by former President Nelson Mandela inspired Vino Govender, a former businesswoman, to write and launch a motivational book aimed at youth and parents.

Govender, who hails from Durban, volunteered at various hospitals as a childcare worker in the 90s, and her experiences and interaction with children have been penned in her book, Tomorrow’s People.

“When I look at our country. I see so much potential in our youth. The next president, the next minister, doctors and lawyers, the list is endless.”

The Durban grandmother said during her 30 years as a volunteer she met children who came from broken homes; some were abandoned while others Durban grandmother Vino Govender with her book. came from poverty-stricken backgrounds.

“Their faces and stories have been etched in my mind for a very long time, and it took me just over two years to put these memories on paper.”

“My book is a compilation of my experiences with the children. Their struggles in life are captured through poems and their stories.

“My aim through the book is to show children they are not alone, and other people their age are faced with similar challenges.

“But by overcoming the struggles, they can open up endless possibilities in their lives.”

Govender added that her book also had a message to parents.

“People’s lifestyles have changed. Parents are so consumed with their careers that their children sometimes take a back seat.

“This needs to stop,nd parents need to focus more on their children and spend quality time motivating and encouraging them to pursue their dreams,” said Govender.

The book, which costs R100, can be purchased from Standard Printers and Art Stationers in Springfield and Best Books in North Coast Road.