You can reach for the stars. You’ll get there soon. You’ll dance with the stars. They will be your friends.
These inspiring lines are not just any random verse from an accomplished poet but the heartwarming words of a young prodigy, Natalie Wambui. At the tender age of ten, Natalie had already authored three books, a feat that would leave many adults awestruck.
This is her story as told by WoK:
Hospital room
Natalie embarked on her writing journey at the age of five. Her initial steps into the world of literature were not in the serene surroundings of her home, but rather in a hospital room where she was undergoing a life-altering heart surgery.
It was there that doctors encouraged her to journal her recovery, a therapeutic exercise that would lay the foundation for her literary career.
As Natalie’s recovery progressed, the journals began to transform into poems and stories. Little did she know that her words would soon find a much larger audience.
One day, her mother presented these writings to a publisher, who recognized the budding talent and published them as her debut book, “Natalie’s Poems,” in 2016.
In 2019, she wrote her second book titled “My Country, My Story,” which is a story about Kenyans who have made a positive difference in the country.
“I wrote the book after noting that most of the literature about Kenya was full of negativity. I thought to myself, why not write about the positive experiences?” said Natalie, whose uncle is the current Homabay senator Moses Kajwang.
Her third book, “Extraordinary Kenyans Doing Extraordinary Things”, was published in 2018. The book is a motivational volume and a tribute to 40 Kenyans, 20 men and 20 women, who have achieved extraordinary feats in different fields. She was 10 at the time.
Meeting the president
Natalie’s incredible achievements earned her invitations to various events and talk shows as a guest speaker.
With her impeccable grammar and well-articulated ideas that many thought were beyond her age, she was admired by everyone.
In 2018, she was invited to speak at Ndambuki’s Churchill show. Media houses took notice, and soon, she found herself on Jeff Koinange’s “JK Live” show on Citizen TV.
There, she expressed her dream of meeting the president. Days later, her wishes materialized when she got the lifetime chance to meet then-president Uhuru Kenyatta during a church event.
She boldly introduced herself and presented her books to him, and the president was so impressed that he invited her to meet the first lady at State House.
Her recognition brought more opportunities as malls invited her for book displays and signings, with her books flying off the shelves.
40 out of 40
Although a student at a Nairobi International school, Natalie has managed to maintain a healthy balance between her school work and her budding writing career.
According to her mother, her academic performance is exemplary.
“When the recent exams were done, she had gotten 40 out of 40 in composition,” shared the proud mother in a YouTube interview.
When she is not delivering inspiring talks at one event or the other, Natalie spends her holidays and weekends at home writing and reading.
She is a great fan of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s works, which include masterpieces like The River Between, Weep Not Child, and The Devil on The Cross, among others.
Awards
Aside from her literary accomplishments, Natalie has been involved in numerous peacekeeping and education campaigns.
In 2019, she was the proud recipient of the International Youth Award at the Global Female Wave of Change Conference in South Africa.
In 2020, she addressed gender-based violence during the Geneva peace talks. As a result of her contribution, a toll-free number was created for victims of gender-based violence.
The same year, she won the Peace Agent of the Year award from the American Friends Service Committee for using her writing to promote peace.
Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua gave her the green light to produce a documentary highlighting the challenges of African children and their solutions.
The documentary, dubbed ‘An Africa Fit For Me’, was recognized by the UNICEF representative to the African Union.
“My inspiration is to teach people that it’s not too early for one to work on their talent,” Said Natalie, whose story serves as an inspiration to all.
