Is Anyone Out There Willing To Help A Firefighter Reach For His Dream?

It's a New Year being 2019 and I'm pondering upon this question. Is anyone out there willing to help a firefighter reach for his dream, by donating or buying his recently published book in bulk...Anyone at all?

Last year was a year full of mixed emotions for me as I continued and tried very hard to get my book published. It was difficult as I even planned to go on a journey on foot - from Pretoria to Umzimkhulu - in order to promote my course. It was quite a humbling experience as, to tell the truth, there was no one, (not even businesses that I approached) that was willing to help. This broke my heart a bit as I believed that my request was simple: I needed money so I could professionally self-publish, which is an expensive undertaking. 

One gentleman whom I'd met on Facebook promised to link me up with a friend who knows someone who might have been able to help me. Sadly my Facebook friend passed away before he could link me up. That left me alone and a bit empty. The other friend of mine advised that people and businesses don't just donate money into a yet unknown cause. He advised that I must start a worthy cause, like helping children and then have an account which they can donate into. Of course this seemed understandable because it is the usual norm. It's how things are done. The third friend of mine said it is easy to register a non-profit organization (NPO), he said he has one that he registered. I appreciated all this advice and still think that it was coming from kind people who wanted to help.

After seeing that I wasn't getting any sponsors I then approached the bank, with my very limp credit score and applied for a loan, which was luckily approved. I took the risk and paid a private publisher who helped me to eventually publish my book, in the United States of America, on their Amazon.com. In addition the book is also available in 12 other countries with direct Amazon online shopping (Japan, Spain, Australia, Canada, Brazil, France, India, Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico, Netherlands and Denmark). If you live in these countries please feel free to buy the book directly from their Amazon website. Please search for https://www.amazon.com/Firefighter-Foremost-Lindsay-Z-Mnguni/dp/1726690938 .

My book is now doing well with reasonable sales over the last three months, since the 3rd of October 2018 - having sold just over 50 copies worldwide. This may seem to be a very small number but to me it's a success as I think it's the start of great things to come. I'm encouraged to keep on going with the hope that 50 copies will soon be 500 and later 5000, and so on, until I reach bestseller status with a countless number of copies having been sold.

My article today is about marketing, hence I ask the question whether there is anyone willing to help me - be it with funding as I need to even launch my book or mass purchasing the book. I need to vigorously advertise it. I need to travel and meet young people in universities, in high schools, primary schools, churches, stadiums, everywhere. I must carry copies with me and be able to give free samples to those whom I see can't afford to buy the book but have a hunger to read. I need to promote my book. Why? You may ask. Why is it important that a book written by a firefighter matter so much that it should be marketed like this? My answer may come in the following explanation.

My story is one of inspiration and I believe it may change the world for the better. The feedback received from those that have read my book is awesome. I may not have succeeded in my expression as a first time author, but I feel proud that I tried to tell my authentic story. I was once poor but now I'm not. Although I may not be as rich as I would like to be, but I'm definitely not poor. Poverty is a sad situation for one to be in. I see it everyday and I feel sad and helpless at the same time because I've not broken free to the point where I can help, tangibly so.

I want to have a legacy wherein I can help meaningfully by contributing positively to people, especially children and poor families - taking them completely out of poverty where it's possible. It may not be by giving huge donations to them, but by helping them to reach a sustainable lifestyle. I've been working for many years - over 20 years. However, I'm still battling with having to build financial freedom - a life where I don't need to wait for the end of the month to get paid, basically living from hand to mouth. How I wish that someone had come to our home when I was young and stretched his/her hand and helped us. Maybe by buying us a house. Or paying our school fees in full. Or buying us clothes or groceries. Or even a car. These are the dreams I wish to do for others out there. It's not spoon-feeding, no. It's giving someone a break. Giving a helping hand.

I wish to do these things. However, I need to start somewhere. You may ask what have I done to authenticate my plea. Even though it may sound as if I'm boasting in my response - the point is: I want to do more. For example, I've already donated school shoes for three children this year in January, with the little that I've made from the sales of my book. R600. Is it a little amount? Yes, it is. Does it make any difference to the three children who now have school shoes? Yes. It's a simple philosophy. Those who have read my book will also understand that I'd like to have an international foundation. I humbly ask to not disclose the details of the foundation here, lest I take away the fun in reading. 

By writing this article I wish that someone out there may show me kindness and help me to fulfil this dream by either buying lots of copies of my book for their school, church, fire station, police station, prison or library, etc. 

I love writing and I've been writing since I was young. It is a discipline which helps to calm or rejuvenate the mind. It's a silent art which, when performed by those who are able to convert written word into spoken word, becomes a beautiful thing.

May I take this opportunity and wish all my awesome readers a wonderful and a prosperous new year. May God bless you all.

To help please contact me at the following forums:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Lindsay Z. Mnguni

Instagram: Lindsay Z. Mnguni

Twitter: @LindsayZMnguni1

Cellphone: +27 72 643 9195

Thank you!