The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features

Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

First-time author Shanna McKinzie said she excited to share with Bahamians, but especially women, the story of how God put her back on the right track in life.

“The Struggle is Real” is the name of her book, which is based on her experiences as a mother of six tackling life’s challenges.

Passionate towards women who endure various hardships, Ms McKinzie talks about using some of the book’s proceeds to one day open a place where homeless mothers and children can stay. This, she said, is inspired by a time in her life when she herself was a homeless mother.

“I share with my readers my mistakes and choices that I made that took me away from the will of God. When I began to put my trust in God he turned my situation around for the good,” said Ms McKinzie.

She said it was one day while driving that she heard the voice of God telling it was the right time for her to write her story.

“He also gave me the title, ‘The Struggle is Real’. I am very excited about it. It is a dream come through for me,” said the new author. 

Employed as a case aide at the Ministry of Social Services, Ms McKinzie is presently furthering her education in this field because she said she has a passion to help the less fortunate and those who cannot fight for themselves. While she enjoys reading, writing, travelling and listening to music of the 70s, above all Ms McKinzie said she loves children and truly believe they are the future.

She said it was after she was forced to live in her car and on the street that she vowed to never close a door on a mother and her children the way the doors were closed on her. Ms McKinzie said she seeks to empower women and help them foster skills for re-entering society. 

“The home will be a temporary shelter. The name of the shelter will be The Eliza Rahming Transitional Centre for Women. The slogan will be,’Save a Mother, Save a Child’. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the start of the shelter,” said Ms McKinzie via her www.struggleisreal.net website where the book is also available for purchase. 

Ms McKinzie is also a supporter of a Grand Bahama-based organisation Princess Court Ministries, which aims to encourage girls to remain pure until marriage, as well as train young women to become godly homemakers while enhancing their spiritual lives.

The club seeks to branch out to Nassau this year, recruiting girls between the ages of five through 18 years old. Ms McKinzie said she already working on her next book, which will be called “Why Did I get Married?”.