The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
WHEN the Covid-19 outbreak prevented Priscilla Musoki from coming back home from Sweden, where she had gone to visit her daughter early this year, she initially thought she was doomed.
The prolonged stay, however, later proved to be a blessing in disguise.
Stuck in the Nordic country, she found solace in writing, which culminated in the publication of two well-received books.
Musoki chronicled how she was “forced” to become a writer.
“I was scheduled to return home in January but due to the coronavirus outbreak, my return was prolonged. I was supposed to be in Sweden for two months and I yearned to go back home. There was nothing I could do,” she said.
Being in Sweden gave her ample time with her grandchildren, to whom she narrated African folktales.
It is during the time she spent with her grandchildren that she realised they needed to learn a lot about African cultures since they were growing up in a multicultural environment.
This motivated her to write books that tell the Zimbabwean story.
“In spending time with them, I realised the challenges that African children living in multicultural environments face. As a grandmother, I felt there was need for me to help my grandchildren discover who they are and where they came from.”
The positive response from her grandchildren inspired her to upload some of her works on YouTube and other social media platforms, increasing her audience in the process.
Within a short period, she had attracted a legion of followers from different nationalities.
A collection of her first stories gave birth to her first book titled “Sticky Fingers in the African Forest.”
Months later, she did her second project titled “Bullfrog Outwits Sneaky Hare”.
Available on Amazon, the books also contain corresponding colouring and activities in paperback.
This was meant to make the books effective for young children who enjoy illustrations.
Musoki explained why she decided to include illustrations and colouring.
“Without illustrations, the books are not attractive to children, so I had to look at the images and ask myself whether it was communicating the story effectively.
“I made a deliberate decision to write the books in Shona and English as a way of encouraging children to learn and be proud of their language and identity.”
She urged Zimbabweans, especially those living in the Diaspora, to embrace their culture and also consider publishing books on the same subject.
“With the technological advances, one can reach a wide audience from wherever they are located by simply launching their content online,” Musoki added.
