Khanyisa pens down her traumatic life experiences

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“Just like climate change that we involuntary face annually, life has its own similar periods. One can never predict what will transpire the next day, yet we find ourselves going for seasons that leave us with permanent scars that we wish to erase.”

These are the words of Khanyisa Baloyi, who recently published her book, Restored, which is based on a true story. In this book, she invites the readers to take a journey with her when she is narrating about traumatic chapters of her life; how they happened, the impact and how she got restored.

"The book is the story of my life. I prefer to call it a journey from rejection to restoration. How I was a victim of rape when I was doing matric, and even while finishing my studies at university, how rejection and broken engagements contributed to my being diagnosed with depression. How all those experiences changed my character from being a happy child to being isolated from everyone. I started doing a whole lot of things for people to accept me. I was called different names, based on my weird and unforeseen behaviour, yet that was my cry for help," she said.

Being in an abusive relationship also compounded her misery. "I was once in an abusive relationship that almost sent me to an early grave, due to the pressure of being single while I'm above 30. This book speaks of all those experiences that a young girl can face in a community that she once felt safe in, but the most precious thing that she held close was taken away by people she trusted," the 33-year-old from Malamulele said.

During her journey, there were moments that she felt like no God existed nor any good script was written for her because she was experiencing heartache and headaches. "Every time I thought I was picking myself up to stand again, I was crushed. I started believing that maybe good things were only for the specific few and there's no need to pray. Still, in all the experiences, I managed to pick myself up and stopped being bitter towards myself and started believing that something great can still come out of the broken vessel. I started find hope from a broken glass that its pieces can be used to cut out something only if it is used correctly," she said.

Despite what she went through, she stood up against all odds, finding herself and purpose after her pain. "Through psychological sessions and prayer, I experienced restoration from within," she said.

Through this book, she wants to encourage someone who has experienced the same fate that there is a rainbow after a storm. For book purchases, she can be reached on 076 608 1277. She is also available on Facebook at Khanyi Johnson.

By: Mbulaheni Ridovhona

The 22-year-old Mbulaheni (Gary) Ridovhona has been passionate about journalism to the extent that he would buy himself a copy of weekly Univen students' newsletter, Our Voice. After reading, he would write stories about his rural village, Mamvuka, and submit them to the very newsletter for publication. His deep-rooted love for words and writing saw him register for a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies at the University of Venda, and joined the Limpopo Mirror team in February 2016 as a journalism intern.