Celebrating women on the eve of Women’s Month

A LOCAL publisher, author and poet has the world at her feet while she continues to inspire women from all walks of life.

Haroldene Tshienda, 44, of Kuils River, is an author and performance poet and founding director of Tshienda Publications as well as co-owner of Onet PC Solutions (Pty) Ltd.

Tshienda has been invited to receive an award at the fourth Annual Global African Authors Awards in Johannesburg, scheduled for today.

Earlier this month, Tshienda assisted Michelle Ohlsson, the mother of the missing Matthew Ohlsson, to release her book The Matthew Ohlsson Story, Without a Trace.

Tshienda is a mom of four and continues to inspire women via her writing and poetry.

In 2016 and 2017, she won an award for her contribution to Literacy Arts at the Cultural Affairs Awards hosted by the Western Cape Department of Arts, Culture and Sports.

She is a Human Rights Peer Educator for Africa Unite, a proud Wing Warrior for the SA Women Fight Back (SAWFB) movement and an ambassador for The Warrior Project.

She was also one of the delegates to represent Western Cape Provincial Parliament at the 40th anniversary of the June 1976 uprising in Soweto.

She has published six books: Give Up (Healing words from a poet), Moving from Pain to Power, Black Poetry, Beyond the Pain, A woman’s world and She is Poetry.

Her seventh book, entitled I am Number Seven, will be published next year.

While busy with her literature, she is also establishing a group called

Reset, a support group for divorcees and people going through divorce and relationship problems, and also hosts writing workshops for free.

She said her main aim was to help women heal via her writing. “We all have a story to tell, you just need to find your voice. If you are not a talkative person, then it’s your chance to write.

“Don’t worry about formal writing, just start.”

When asked how she felt about receiving her award, she said: “I was contacted by Anthea Ambursley, the founder and organiser of the Annual Global African Authors Awards, earlier this year to nominate a few self-published authors.

“Luckily for me, I have an archive full of authors who have made use of my services.”

“This event will start at 5pm and can be viewed via Feed A Mind TV’s Facebook page.”