Writing to save generations

Reading good literature has been emphasised in various areas, including schools and workplaces, as the best ingredient for development.

And Kasuzi Mbaluka’s book, Loving Your Career, is one such an informative piece of literature for both career and personal development.

“Enjoyment of good literature creates leaders and great thinkers who can contribute to the development of a nation like Malawi.

“At the same time, literature is a powerful tool for knowledge that can help free nations from the shackles of poverty, injustice and other ills through innovative thinking,” he said.

Mbaluka said, at a stage where life is fast transforming and emerging issues such as soaring unemployment are rife, people—especially the youth—need insights on how they can deal with some of life’s challenges.

He cited careers as one of the significant subjects that keep on boggling most people’s minds, especially children as they grow up, and added this is what necessitated the writing of Loving Your Career.

The book delves into fundamentals of settling for a career and enjoying it—a vital element in building that career.

“It is important to know which steps to take before embarking on a particular career path to enjoy your career once you embrace it. First, one needs to define himself or herself in terms of their passion and qualities for a particular career path,” said Mbaluka.

Officially launched at Riverside Hotel in Lilongwe on July 1, Loving Your Career, seeks to prepare young people for a fulfilling career path that will see them enjoying their job and contributing to their personal, community and national development.

The launch was presided over by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kasungu East Madalitso Kazombo.

An analysis of how he has presented the facts in the book shows that Mbaluka is a writer full of promise, one who seeks to contribute to the development of Malawi through inspirational literature.

He said, as a writer, he draws inspiration from everyday life and issues happening around the world.

“I loved reading from a tender age. My father retired as a primary school teacher. As a teacher, he provided a lot of books. I developed love for reading then.

“At secondary school, I interacted with the late Ezra Kawaye, whom we christened the moving dictionary. He was managing director of M’biya Private Secondary School,” said Mbaluka.

He said his English vocabulary was developed further at the school.

However, Mbaluka says he started serious writing when he was in first year at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima).

“I made it a habit to spare an hour to write poems and short stories after doing academic issues. The fact that I did English Literature in the first and second years buttered my communication and writing skills.

“I joined Twilight, a magazine of Christian institutions at Chanco [Chancellor College], as a reporter and rose to the position of editor,” he said.

Since he embarked on a serious writing journey, Mbaluka has published articles in the country’s leading newspapers.

He became a member of Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) in 2002 and recalls having been inspired by such great literary gurus as Professor David Rubadiri, the late Aubrey Kachingwe and Aubrey Kalitera.

However, he says the state of writing and reading in the country needs to improve, arguing not many books are being published these days.

“We really are a people that, in a way, confirm the saying that if you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book. These days the currency in the developed world is knowledge.

“Countries are trading on advanced knowledge and they are banking on the knowledge economy. Therefore, my writing is a contribution to that knowledge economy,” he said.