Making Your Way Through The Maze

By Galaletsang Dintsi

Making Your Way Through The Maze

Most of the time, life is like a maze; an intricate, complex pathway that seems to lead to dead ends. Each time you think you have finally figured your way out, and as you are about to jump in victory, you realise that it is yet another cul de sac. However, despite all these stumbling blocks that one might encounter, it has been proven by so many success stories from our own communities that it is possible to make your way out of the maze. All it requires from you is to first identify who you are, then arm yourself with information and invoke your innermost strength - that is all the preparation you need. This book will renew your strength, and motivate you to have a go at successfully finding your way through the maze of life once more!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Galaletsang Dintsi
• Release date: Jan 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463470688

Book preview

MAKING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MAZE

LIFE SKILLS FOR THE YOUTH

MAKING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MAZE

LIFE SKILLS FOR THE YOUTH

Galaletsang Dintsi

Copyright © 2018 Galaletsang Dintsi

Published by Galaletsang Dintsi Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Galaletsang Dintsi using Reach Publishers’ services,

Address: P O Box 330 ABF, Gaborone, BW, Botswana

0026771886430 // 002673180369

[e-mail]

Edited by Vanessa Finaughty for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Dedications

Marea Ofithile Baikai (1910–2005)

Keinyatse Baikai (1930–2002)

Stephen Baikai (1955–2009)

Keresepe Tshukudu (1953–2012)

This book is dedicated to my life skills teachers, my great-grandmother, grandmother, uncle and my aunt who have departed this Earth; their great teachings have contributed to my values, principles and beliefs.

About the Author

Ms Galaletsang Dintsi is a life skills coach, speaker and writer and an all-round communicator. Her previous work has not been published; this is her debut book. She has extensive experience in the public sector, where she worked for the Administration of Justice (AOJ) from 2005 to 2015. This is where her communication skills were inculcated. In less than a year in the job, she was chosen with 12 others to be trained to be a team of super users of the electronic case management system. At that time, AOJ was going through a transformation and the organisation needed staff to lead in, change management, teach new processes, and monitor usage of the system as well as roll-out to all the courts of Botswana. She has trained staff of the AOJ comprising of judges, magistrates, clerks of courts, court reporters, bench clerks and administrators on new court procedures (on the use) of the web-based court records management system. She later joined the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC), where she was a senior research and marketing officer responsible for marketing youth empowerment schemes like Internship and Tirelo Sechaba. It is in that role that she interacted more with the youth and developed an interest in youth empowerment programmes. She vowed to use her extensive communication skills (writing and speaking) and experience to push the youth agenda. She left government service in 2017 and has since worked with the non-governmental sector to contribute to youth empowerment. She holds a BA in Social Sciences and a certificate in Public Relations, and has undergone various professional training courses in leadership, smart work ethics and communications. She is currently reading for her masters in Politics and International Relations.

Acknowledgments

I am thankful to my family, both living and late, for raising me into what I have become. I am indebted to my mother, who has inculcated the spirit of hard work; she is a highly dedicated teacher who, to this day, still wins meritorious awards for her amazing work. The support and love of my immediate family is unprecedented. My husband, Samuel Dintsi, and our three girls, Leno, Mmasechaba and Lerato, gave me all the strength and support I needed. I am lucky to have them in my life. May this book teach my girls all that they need to know about life. Most importantly, may my passion, hard work and resilience be qualities that they, too, will live by, even during my absence.

Like they say, it takes a whole community to raise a child. I acknowledge my whole extended family for their love, support and encouragement. My teachers from primary school, up to now, have played a part in my life as well. Education is not only acquired in a classroom; hence, I have had the fortune to interact with amazing teachers in the form of friends, strangers, elders and community leaders. I believe humans are ‘libraries’ and, if you are open to that concept, you can read a page of wisdom from almost everyone you encounter in your everyday life.

In life, you meet friends who will also be there for you professionally. I would like to acknowledge my good friend, Dario Benjamin Meyer, for being there from the start of this book. I still remember the first day we spoke about the idea of this book and he asked, What are you waiting for? I have not waited ever since; I wrote and he read and offered insightful comments that helped shape this book. I am also indebted to my good friend Kethapile Mojuta for reading, editing and helping with content. They were thorough and their contribution was immense. I am also thankful to all the amazing personalities whose stories I used as examples of good role models for the Botswana youth. Your lives and stories have touched lives.

Contents

Dedication

About the Author

Acknowledgments

In Your Eyes

Humans are Survivors

Introduction

1. Who are You?

2. You, Your Family and Your Dreams

3. Friends – Do You Need Them?

4. You and Your Education

5. Your Community – as Both an Opportunity and a Threat

6. Technology, Internet and Social Media

7. Of Religion, Your Belief Systems and the Concept of Hard Work

8. Youth, Politics and Governance

9. Structures in Place for Youth Empowerment

10. What to do When it is all too Much

11. Epilogue

In Your Eyes

I can’t seem to forget your eyes

I have seen pain

In your eyes

I have seen despair

In your eyes

I have seen doubt

In your eyes

I have seen hopelessness

In your eyes

I ask myself every day why everyone else

Cannot see your pain

Why