Cleopatra Shamiso Mutetwa is a 22-year-old lady who is passionate about philanthropy and giving back to her community. She is also an architecture student studying by the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo. Mutetwa recently announced the launch of her new book ‘Incubate Your Hope’ which she hopes will make readers guard their aspirations and dreams with deep care; much like the care of a young baby! We stole a few minutes out of Mutetwa’s day to get a little more insight on the book, her journey to authorship and the fast-approaching launch. ^{*KM – Kudzai Mhangwa; CM – Cleopatra Mutetwa}

KM: Congrats on your book coming out. Tell us a bit more about ‘Incubate Your Hope’.

CM: Thank you so much. The book brings out the concept of nurturing and protecting your hope to achieve your dreams by taking the reader and placing them in the feet of a parent with a premature baby. Such a baby will need Neonatal Intensive Care which comprises of an environment that’s conducive for the baby to grow and become healthy. This book leads you into achieving your individual goals by personifying your hope as a baby and taking the responsibility to cater for its special needs.

KM: What inspired you to pen a book such as this one?

CM: It was last year, I was listening to a sermon by Sarah Jakes Roberts [American author, speaker and pastor and daughter of Bishop T. D. Jakes]. She was talking about starving fears and feeding your faith. Afterwards I studied more about that and boom, the ideology of incubating hope came to me. Recently I found out she also wrote a book about hope, and I was speechless.

KM: What personal experiences have you gone through do you believe are teachable to readers of your book?

CM: I have experienced the goodness of Christ in my life in many various ways. I am studying a challenging program in university and during my first year I had moments when I felt like giving up. I believe the encouragement I got from my brothers and sisters in Christ is what picked me up from that situation. People in our lives have a big impact in my life. In my book, I talk about how to be careful and conscious about your circle of friends. If I did not have these people, I may not have overcome what I was going through as an individual.

KM: Tell us about your writing journey. When did you start and how has it gone so far?

CM: This is my first published book! I’ve always loved writing. I used to write stuff and never share with people. I would like to say, this all came from creative writing in primary school. I have articles that I have written and just kept to myself which I wish to publicize. I’m looking forward to growing more confidence in my writing and advancing to greater heights.

KM: In the future what do you hope to achieve as a writer?

CM: I hope to be able to get my voice out to as many people as possible, across Africa and beyond. I hope to be able to share stories that will make impacts on people’s lives and inspire them.

KM: How easy or hard was it to get this book done?

CM: I had a few challenges but overall, I enjoyed writing every page of the book. I found it refreshing and it was personal time that I connected with my soul. The major setback I had was a time I lost everything I had written. I was almost halfway. But I bounced back and rewrote [the book] from the start. I didn’t lose hope.

KM: Take us through the journey to get ‘Incubate Your Hope’ published.

CM: Well thanks to a few friends it’s been a wonderful journey. Chances Inc has been a blessing in my life. Audrey Chirenje, the woman behind Chances Inc is such a lovely person and she has been more than an editor, she is an exceptional friend, mother, and sister. The whole process was just amazing.

KM: So, the book is set for launch on the 21^st of October. What can we expect on the day?

CM: Hopefully the event will be a beautiful day to introduce the book to the world. The theme of the launch is “When a girl child is given a chance”. My dream is to inspire another young person and let them know that they are capable.

KM: What are your final words for our readers?

CM: Don’t give up on your dreams. Let your hope grow and bloom. I hope that this book will encourage anyone who feels like giving up on a certain thing. I am looking forward to you guys reading “Incubate Your Hope”. My dearest wish is that it will touch your lives and inspire you.