Christ Laolange Shameulu’s memoir offers ‘hope, not just pain’

Namibian creative entrepreneur, author and Swakopmund Fashion Week founder Christ Laolange Shameulu has turned one of the most difficult chapters of her life into an inspirational memoir, a story that proves "your current chapter is not your final chapter."

Through her newly released, deeply personal debut book ‘The Power of Perseverance’, the author hopes to inspire others to keep believing in themselves, even when life seems at its darkest.

The author wants readers to walk away knowing that "you can lose and still rebuild; that purpose can come from pain."

She believes that "if one person reads it and decides not to give up, then it has done its job."

The memoir launched on 7 July, with a second launch set for Swakopmund on 1 August.

Showing up

In an interview with tjil, Shameulu spoke about the inspiration behind the book and its recent release.

“I was inspired by my own rebuilding season. After losing everything I built at 19, my business and my stability, I still had to show up as a mother, as a person, every single day," she said.

Writing the book gave her a chance to examine not only what she went through, but what she found when she got through it. "I felt it was the right time because I’m no longer in the middle of the storm. I’m on the other side. And I think we share our stories best when we’ve made it through, so we can offer hope, not just pain".

The spark for sharing her story was a deeply painful chapter in her life, and the strength she had to draw on to survive it.

"There was a season where I lost my business, and it felt bleak. Everything that could go wrong, did. But I was a mother. I couldn’t stop. So I had to learn how to carry the weight in silence, keep going, and still believe in a future I couldn’t see yet."

For those facing their own storms

While writing, she kept three archetypes in mind: a young girl in a village who thinks her dreams are too big; a student who wants to quit; and the person rebuilding after life has knocked them down. “My hope is that after the last page, readers will leave with drive, with purpose, and with tools to build against the odds. Not motivation for a day, but fuel for the long road," she said.

What was it like to relive some of the most difficult moments of her life while authoring the book?

"There were chapters where I had to go back to the moment I lost it all. Opening myself up to that kind of scrutiny was hard. But I refused to fixate on that," she said. She felt it was necessary to share her story because she knew someone needed to read it — and that it would help them feel less alone.

She told tjil this is just the beginning. "I do plan to write more. I have more stories, more lessons, and more people I want to reach."