"Growing up without a mother, I was mocked, and this experience inspired the creation of my debut book tittled “I Saw It with My Naked Eye”. I struggled with low self-esteem. It was worse in high school due to my skin problem; I developed pimples, which led to bullying. I had a rippled school bag and large shoes that caused people crack jokes. As a result, I experienced anxiety and my grades started to drop", she said.
During her second year at the college, Khensani came across an organization called FunDza, online, where they were accepting applications for upcoming writers. She took a chance and applied. Out of 400 applicants, Khensani was among the 20 who were selected. After that, she never looked back.
"I write to heal more than anything; if I fail to do that, then I haven't done my work. Hence why my themes are about faith in God, healing, rising, history, situations faced by teenagers (bullying, heartbreaks, just high school life, as well as tertiary life sometimes), and forgiving", she said.
Today, Khensani has contributed to books like One Life by Sharp,Short Stories, Imbiliso Poetry Anthology, and Spoiling the Broth by Publish'd Afrika. Her advice for aspiring writers is not to rush, they must know 'why' they are writing. "Aspiring writers have to train themselves by reading and entering writing competitions. I'm currently busy with my writing brand 'The Girl in Khaki', where I stretched my craft as a storyteller and to start therapy sessions with the youth", she concluded.
You can connect with her on WhatsApp if you want to buy her books: 073 768 2933. Facebook and LinkedIn: Khensani Sayiya.