Nonto seeks to empower young single mothers
MTUBATUBA author Nontobeko Mthethwa, who released her first book last year, has launched her new title 'I was a teenage mother' in which she continues to document and share her life experiences to help empower young girls and women.
The single mother of three children pursued her writing when lockdown began in March 2020, and used her isolation during
the pandemic to create her first release 'Thorns in my path', which shares her journey overcoming life challenges and depression. She describes her books as 'manuals that others can use to address hurdles in their own lives, improve their emotional wellness, and begin their own journey of self-discovery and healing'.
Her books document her life choices, the harsh consequences of some of them and how she overcame through seeking help. She suffered in silence with depression, and highlights how it impacted her life and caused everything to spiral out of control. Eventually, after many therapy sessions with different health professionals, Nontobeko made the tough decision to resign from full-time employment and deal with her mental health issues before returning to work.
'In ‘I was a teenage mother’, she shares her personal life story of becoming pregnant at a young age and being a single parent, in the hope it will inspire, motivate and encourage others to push past their difficult times in life. Nontobeko practised as a social worker at the Department of Social Development for six years before leaving to discover her life's purpose, and venture into entrepreneurship and public speaking. She is also pursuing a Master's degree in social work at the University of Zululand, and her research topic is about the experiences of single teenage mothers.