Johannesburg - Author, activist and social entrepreneur Amonge Sinxoto has written a thought-provoking book which sheds light on the significance of pronouncing names precisely to help people see the power their names possess.
“My BIG name” is a book about a young girl named Isenguye who comes to understand the power her “BIG” name retains. This relates to her full name and its meaning.
Unpacking the book she reveals that on her first day of “BIG” school, Isenguye meets her teacher who refuses to learn how to pronounce her name, and in doing so, takes away the power in Isenguye’s name.
Sinxoto says this book is relatable to many Africans whose names are constantly mispronounced, and how these experiences can be damaging to a child’s self-esteem.
In conversation with The Star, she revealed that she had always known that she wanted to be part of African storytelling and unpacking crucial subject matters.
Sharing details about “My Big Name” she says her objective in writing this book is to enable people to go all the way to understand the significance of their names.
“I think the intention with this book is really to encourage young people to firstly understand and seek out understanding about the meaning of their names. It talks of an experience from the perspective of an African child. It has teachings for all children – to believe in themselves, and their superpowers,” said Sinxoto.
She pointed out that a lot of people seldom make efforts to try and enunciate names correctly, something that she finds formidable.
“It's about that effort and taking the time to try and practice learning people’s names. In South Africa, there is no reason that people shouldn't be trying to pronounce names correctly.” explains the young author.
Sinxoto, who is also the founder of Blackboard Africa, has worked with a talented 22-year old woman illustrator named Lebogang Thato Sekwelenkwe.
Everything that Sinxoto does stems from her passion to impact communities and uplift young people.
The proposed target audience for this book is children between the ages of seven to 11-years-old and is available for purchase at various Exclusive Books and Bargain Books across the country.
The Star