My first Publication Mojatu Nottingham Magazine M030 | Page 27

Nottingham connected Arts & Culture 27 Lillian Saidi Publishes Her First Book. THE BOX OF THE COVENANT I was born in Tanzania, which is one of the East Africa country, to a family of nine children. I am the seventh child. We were among the poor people in that village, living only on what we could get.  By Lillian Saidi My mother separated from my father when I was 5 years old. When I turned 7, the age for starting primary school in Tanzania, my mother refused to register me for school. She believed that it was a waste of time, since I would be married in the near future. The same year I left home at the age of 7 after discovering my mother was organising for me to get married at a such young age to an old man. I let the village and I went to Town to look for a job (maid) Since then I worked as a maid for over twenty. Incredibly, having only started school at the age of 19 with no primary education, that is to say not knowing how to read and write completely I managed to go to secondary and obtained O Level and A level studies and later graduated in Business Management. Now I am a member of the Association of Business Executives. You might be asking yourself why I decided to write a book and share my story? This is simply because of what I went through in my life; I believe I had these experiences for a reason and by putting them in writing, I will be able to help somebody who is going through similar circumstances.  This book is for anyone who is going through any challenge in life where they need someone who can tell them that they will get through it, that they can do it, and that there is a better tomorrow and that they will make it in life. And of course, to those people with dreams and aspirations will not only be inspired but also given life tools that will equip them to persevere, work hard, defy the odds, and eventually succeed. What I have shared in the book basically to tell people that, regardless of their darkest situation, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Persevere and you will find that tomorrow will be better than today; you might be going through a night, but I promise you there will be a morning.  I had so many dark moments and sleepless nights, I thought I wouldn’t see tomorrow, but I always made it to see the sun rise.  Keep dreaming and move forward whilst focusing on your future! Some insight of the book This book and the whole experience of writing it – sums up my life to date.  It shows that no two lives are the same and we all go through different experiences, but life is what you make it.  Find who you are, know your values and what you stand for.  Believe that your dreams and aspirations are worth fighting for; fight for them and they will come. One of the great lessons I have learned from my experiences is that tomorrow will be different to today.  I can say with confidence that whatever you are doing, whatever you believe, and despite whatever circumstances you are facing, you can make a change and have the things you dream of.  I hope that my book helps people recognise this and realise that nothing is impossible to those who believes.  I would like to take this opportunity to advice young girls who might be going through what I went through/ anyone who is going through any difficulties in life. They need to have something bigger inside  than their circumstance, they need to have something bigger than what they are going through. That is what will make them persevere and move forward. Because it is very easy to go into depression or even to think of committing suicide and things like those one but I just want to encourage those people that they need to have something bigger inside you, something that you are hoping because everything that is happening to us we are just passing through, nothing is permanent and if they have something bigger inside them they will be able to pass through anything because there is something inside them which is bigger than what is surrounding them, which is bigger than what they see outside. That is what will be like their fuel for them to move forward. I would like to give an example of a Car: We see the tires moving the car, but we don’t see the things inside the car that drive it forward.  The engine inside the car is more powerful than the parts we see outside.  Without that big thing inside us, it would be difficult to overcome any obstacle in life.  The energy inside you is more powerful than whatever challenge is outside; you need to have that fuel to drive you to achieve your dreams in life. I thank God am now living in England with my husband and two beautiful daughters. The book is called “The Box of the Covenant” by Gemma is available from Amazon stores in paperwork and Ebook.