WHAT started out as a simple assignment for a good grade, led East Coast nursery school teacher, Tazena Joseph, on a journey of self-discovery and great successes.

Joseph in 2021, penned the story book, “David back to school after COVID,” to help her children understand basic facts about the pandemic and to offer them some comfort during these unprecedented times.

At the time, she was reading for her Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Guyana (UG). The concept of writing a story book came along after she was given an assignment in one of her classes.

Following her graduation earlier this month, Joseph officially published her book digitally on Amazon, one the world’s largest online market platforms.

Publishing, she told the Guyana Chronicle, was not something that was on the cards for her when she first wrote the book. However, with some inspiration, she took a leap of faith and decided to share her work with the rest of the world.

This, she said, was no walk in the park.

“It was a bit difficult to get it published from [Guyana] because they [Amazon] would have required so many things that I wasn’t aware of. So, my cousin in the United States, she said ‘Let me try it.’ So, she tried it and she got through,” she added.

Her challenge now is having the book published locally and to have it recognised as a critical learning instrument in nursery schools across the country.

“My main focus is how we can benefit from it in Guyana, for our schools to benefit from it in Guyana. I would love for the schools to get a hold of it, more so parents,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

The story of the book is centred on a young boy returning to school during the pandemic and learning the importance of following the COVID-19 guidelines to protect himself and friends.

She explained that the book is a packaged learning kit that features a word list to assist children to read fluently. It also features a short activity that children can do after reading the story.

CHALLENGING JOURNEY
While Joseph is basking in her successes, she noted that her journey up to this point was filled with challenges.

Studying at UG was no light task, as she not only had to manage a classroom, but her own children as well, four of whom are still in school.

“I had to be dealing with school-aged children. I had my own share of issues at home, marital issues and all these things,” she said.

At one point in time, she thought that the load was too much and considered giving up on her studies.

“My university journey was difficult. I would have [sic] done other studies before, but my three years at the university, it was the most difficult one I had to deal with because, I remember there was one time that I almost quit.”

However, with encouraging words from her family and friends, she was able to make it across the finish line.

“Support from my children, my parents, my staff, loved ones and so on, they were the ones that [sic] encouraged me,” she said adding: “Nothing comes easy. you have to push; you have to keep focus [ed] and with those words I was able to succeed and I graduated with credit and I must thank God for that.”

When asked what is next for her, Joseph indicated that she has already penned a second book and several poems and is in the process of having a discussion with the Ministry of Education to see what can be done to have the books published and used in schools across the country.