Publications
Partners
Stacey Fru is a remarkable 11 year old who was born in Johannesburg. The young girl has a passion for reading and started writing at the age of seven without her parents' knowledge.
She has won multiple awards and according to her website writing is not her only gift.
If she is not writing then she is playing the guitar or doing ballet. She is also "a motivational speaker, storyteller, poet, TV talk show host, chairlady/MC, and teacher who has helped many realise that you are never too young or too old to live your dream".
What an achiever! And on top of that, she has also started her own education-focused foundation.
READ MORE: 16-year-old Zulaikha Patel is still fighting for women's rights
On the 3rd of September, Stacey celebrated recently National Book Week by taking the opportunity to read to the children of Crown Mines which fails under the Mandela Library project. "She wanted to help them see how powerful literacy can be," states the release. The reading took place at the school's container library, a donation from the Mandela Library Project
Reading and writing changed my life and I want to give every other child like me the opportunity to enjoy the wonders of books like I have. That’s why what the Mandela Library Project does is so important. One book can change a life,” she said at the event.
The library project is the focus this year of one of the Relate Trust’s biggest single crowdfunding initiatives to date: the Mandela Centenary Bracelet campaign. Through individual and business partnerships, their vision is to fund new libraries and impact thousands of children across the nation.
READ MORE: Teen becomes the first person with down syndrome to win international beauty pageant
We asked Stacey a few questions about her and her career:
1. What inspired you to start writing at such a young age?
What inspired me to write is that when I was seven years old my mother graduated with her masters and while we were watching the graduation video I saw my mother’s thesis and at that time I did not know what it was.
I thought it was a book, I screamed and asked, 'why did you write this book without telling me?’ and from that day I said to myself that if my mother could write a book without telling me, I would write my book without telling her.
2. Do you think that you are missing out on your childhood because you led a different life than they do?
Of course, I live a different life because most children will be using technology while I write, but I do have a good amount of technology time myself.
3. What does the future look like for you? Do you plan on publishing more books?
The future looks bright for me because as I run my projects, that encourages me to do better and more work. Yes, I am thinking of publishing more books and I am currently working on some.
4. What is the one thing you would like to change about the world? What social ills would you like to right?
The one thing I would change about the world is I would love for all children and youth to be safe in their environment, being safe from abuse, rape, drugs and many more of todays challenges. I focus manly on bringing up the African child in education and them going with their dream/talent.
5. Is there anything about your career path you would like to change?
I would change the fact that I am only in South Africa when I want to impact Africa, I want to see other cultures experience what the African child goes through.
Sign up to W24’s newsletters so you don’t miss out on any of our hot stories and giveaways.
