The two women who shaped my life

By Mangoa Mosota

She is over six feet tall and 70 years old, but spends the hours between 6am and 5pm every day bent over her crops, tending them lovingly.

Mangoa Mosota and his mother. He learnt virtues of hard work from his mother and grandmother. Photos: Courtesy

I have also learnt a lot from her fast pace of walking.

When we attend weddings or funerals that are within walking distance, she often walks briskly and I find it difficult to keep up with her. Sometimes I have to run so I’m not left behind. She does not own a clock or watch, but my grandmother is never late for any appointment.

In Standard One, I hated English lessons — I never got spelling or pronunciation right. But my mother soon changed my attitude. She was my teacher from Standard One to Standard Three and English soon became my best subject, setting the stage for my future as a journalist.

My mother pushed me to keep trying through reading and writing exercises. Later, I developed an interest in the creative use of words.

By the time I joined secondary school, I had made up my mind on my career choice — journalism. I enjoyed reading and found fulfilment through writing!

And because of what my mother taught me, I often remember these words from Boyz II Men’s song Mama:

You taught me everything

And everything you’ve given me

I always keep it inside

You’re the driving force in my life

The best gift I can give my mother and grandmother is to live by their ideals — which they have made clear through their actions. My career involves a lot of time dedication and hard work; virtues I have embraced as a result of the two women who shaped my life.