Kangala’s life lessons

Michelline NawatisesMaria Kangala has written a book that aims to serve as a guide to self-leadership, personal growth and young adulthood.“In the next three years, I see myself helping people do meaningful things with their lives and having fun while doing it,” Kangala said.“Start writing and trust your creativity.” Maria (22) grew up with her extended family at Ondobe in the Ohangwena Region. She attended Haimbili Haufiku Secondary School and graduated from the University of Namibia (Unam) with a degree in science earlier this year.Kangala launched her first book on 13 October.What led her to write her book is her love for reading, which evoked an interest in writing. “I feel like my life experiences and the kind of books I read influenced me to write this book,” Kangala explained.The book, title ‘Learning the hard way’, is about her life lessons and contains simple stories about the events that have occurred in her life and what she learnt after reflecting on them. When asked by The Zone what challenges she has encountered and how she dealt with them, Kangala mentioned losing her father to alcoholism and having to deal with the shame and stigma that came with it, was one of her major challenges. “I dealt with it by accepting it as a part of me; I learnt some meaningful lessons from it and grew as an individual,” she said.The accomplishment that has given her the most satisfaction thus far, is when she ran for the Unam Student Representative Council (SRC) and won.Kangala said she had self-esteem issues and that she is proud of how courageous she was to take part in the SRC election, despite her fears.The authors that inspired her include Izabella Little-Gates and Petrina Hamutenya. “I always loved writing, but I still think people become great with time and practice,” she says. When asked what the least favourite part of the writing process was, she said. “I loved every single part of it, because even the most challenging parts were bringing me closer to my dream.” She also mentioned the financial constraints she faced when writing, as there was a lack of consistency from the other parties involved. The book is available for N$150 at Antonio’s Arts, situated in Town Square in them Windhoek CBD.Those outside Windhoek can call 081 758 7223 to place their orders.Facts about Kangala: She loves travelling. She tries to learn something from everyone she meets. She loves nature and is “mindful”. She is obsessed with simplicity. She is a nerd and an honest person. Below are some tips on how write a book from scratch:1. Establish your writing space.2. Assemble your writing tools.3. Break the project into small pieces.4. Settle on your BIG idea.5. Construct your outline.6. Set a firm writing schedule.7. Establish a sacred deadline.8. Embrace procrastination.9. Eliminate distractions.10. Conduct your research.11. Start calling yourself a writer.12. Think ‘reader first’.13. Find your writing voice.

Kangala’s life lessons

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-10

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Kangala’s life lessons

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-10

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