03/02/2026
My name is Knox Mulenga. I'm 32 years old and was born and raised in the Muchinga Province of Zambia. However, I'm now in the Itezhi-Tezhi district of Southern Province.
I'm the second born in a family of seven males and one female. I, together with my elder brother, who is now in Kitwe in the Copperbelt province, grew up like friends. Our life was not easy; growing up in the village was a challenge. Despite all the difficulties and other challenges, my dad became an illegal poacher, and through poaching, he managed to sponsor us to school, and we both completed our secondary education at Mpika Boys Secondary School. Fishing and part-time cassava farming were also part of our education.
Two years later, in 2015, I joined the Zambia Police Service with the aim of supporting my parents and helping them to support my siblings. The moment I started working, I even asked my dad not to engage in any illegal poaching or any illegal activity. I took up the responsibility of looking after my brothers and our only sister. My helper brother, Kalaba, isn't in a formal career to date, as he just does part-time work.
However, based on what I planned concerning the future for my siblings, in 2017 I married and took my sister to stay with us since in the villages or rural areas the future for a girl child is a challenge due to expectations, as they end up given in marriage at a younger age. A year later, I again took my immediate brother to also join us.
However, during this period, everything was going well until 2019, on 10th March, when we went for crowd control in town. Being a police officer, at night during the riot I was injured by an unknown person who hit me with an unknown object on my right eyebrow. Due to the impact of the injury, I was referred to University Teaching Hospital (UTH) for proper medical care. It was that moment when even Doctor Nanyangwe told me that the eye was badly injured and it would never see again.
A month later, I went for a review. Unfortunately, what Dr. Nanyangwe told me was the reality. As a result, I went to Chawama Private Hospital for SDA, where I heavily spent money on medicines for three months, and every month I used to go to the hospital for medicals. The medical and other hospital bills did me bad as I remained broke and vulnerable due to loans that I got during this period.
In 2020, my immediate brother completed his secondary education with good results. He was supposed to go to school. Unfortunately, my dad in the village couldn't manage, and my elder brother Kalaba and I in this state, we all failed him.
In early 2021, my dad was arrested for illegal poaching, and I had to sacrifice something for him. I again got a loan so that I could pay a fine for his case. By God's grace he was released after spending one month in prison.
Later in 2021, our only sister also completed her grade 12. Due to difficulties in my life, financial instability, and pressure mounting like a mountain in my life. My sister didn't do well in some subjects. Last year again, my other brother, Daniel, completed school and applied at Nkumbi International College, where he was asked to be under school bursary. Unfortunately, this is February, they haven't called him, and the same people who were responsible for the bursary never respond even when we call them.
Not only that, my wife is at school, and she's doing her third year at Rocky View University. She's studying teaching in secondary education. Her younger and only sibling also completed school last year. My wife and her sister have no parents, as their mother died in 2013, and their father, after the death of their mother, is nowhere to be seen to date. I'm now like her father, brother, as I'm the only person she is expecting to take her to school.
Furthermore, my last three younger brothers are also now in secondary school away from the parents. Due to a small house where I stay, I couldn't manage to accommodate my other three brothers since Daniel and Veronica are staying with me, and now I am blessed with two beautiful daughters, Tatiana, 6 years old, and Eliana, 3 years old, both at Brilliant Star Academy doing 2nd grade and baby class, respectively.
It was in 2019, when I was nursing my eye injury, that I developed the passion for writing simple stories for my social media platforms to encourage and teach my followers. I was surprised that many people wanted to read more; they advised me to just start writing novels. Fortunately, drawing inspiration from my mother despite her not having formal education, it was simple for me to imagine and come up with ideas that can resonate well with readers. My mother's storytelling abilities made me do things uniquely.
On 2nd August 2025, I had an opportunity to publish my first novel called WEIGHT OF TRADITIONS: Tears of a Widow on Amazon and Draft2Digital platforms, and another book called DEATH IN THE POT: Beyond the Shadows of Death was published on 7th August 2025 using the same platforms. I tried everything I could do, but everything concerning marketing and advertising needed funds for proper marketing. Due to my status of being financially unstable, I couldn't manage. Furthermore, in October I partnered with the local publishers so that I could try local businesses. They published and printed some copies of WEIGHT OF TRADITIONS, TEARS OF A WIDOW BOOK. To my surprise, I sold out all 80 copies within 3 weeks. Readers were ready to read more from my book. Unfortunately, other books were not published with the same publishers due to the low percentage of profit I was receiving. Publishers didn't do their job to advertise, promote, and market the book. Even the same 80 copies were my initiative because my friends and my colleagues wanted to have the book. Despite everything I did, the publishers, after I sold the book, demanded their 60 percent even when it was me who used my funds for distribution. I felt like I was exploited. From October up to now I haven't received the report from them that they have sold my books or posted or shared the book on their media platforms, even though they promised under the contract that they would handle everything. Due to this inconvenience, out of the 80 copies they sent, I used part of their share as I was pressured to raise funds for my wife's university bills. It's unfortunate that up to now I haven't raised that amount to clear them.
I want my books to be on the market. It's evident that my books will be loved by many. Imagine, in my first attempt within three weeks, I managed to sell 80 physical copies. Readers 'are waiting for more from my books. I have no funds for me to publish or print more copies.
The book titles for my books are as follows: 1. WEIGHT OF TRADITIONS: Tears of a Widow. This book's focus is based on harsh treatment that sometimes widows receive when their husbands are no more.
Some call it the book of emotions. Tabitha, a young widow, was mistreated, tortured, and tormented in every way. She was accused, vulnerable with her two kids, Monica and Tatiel. The societal expectations, culture, and traditions were the weight she carried. She was like someone in bo***ge. The reason I love this book is that, being a police officer and growing up in a rural area where culture and traditions are heavily involved in our daily lives, I decided to tell the world that widows, regardless of what happens, are also humans, and they have to be protected. They are part of human rights like everyone else.
2. DEATH IN THE POT: Beyond the Shadows of Death.
The concept of this book is about death and the fear surrounding it. Yes, death has left many people vulnerable, with lasting memories, fear, and uncertainties, making it unpredictable. It's a story based on fiction but full of lessons. A young mother, Akua, unleashed the pot's wrath the moment she tampered with the pot she found in the forest. That's how the pot tormented the village of Lukanga as death and darkness pressed on the village until a warrior, Chapususha, emerged and conquered the evil powers of the pot. The book is a great idea for Christians as it covers some sermons to explain the book in biblical ways.
3. FORBIDDEN BOND: Twins' Unlikely Love. This book is about how unsolved family conflicts, hatred, and dirty secrets can affect the next generation if they remain unsolved. In this book, Brian and Patricia, the twins, were separated just after the death of their parents. This happened because of the conflicts between the two families, between the twins' father and mother. After 20-plus years, the twins met and started dating, ignorant of their identity. To make matters worse, they were not even identical, and there was no clue or information about their identity. Then it was discovered during marriage negotiations that they were twins after the two families met… It was unfortunate that Patricia was even pregnant.
And now I'm working on AN ORPHAN'S CRY. Then this book in progress is the journey of an orphan, with themes of child abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other harsh treatment that people might inflict on innocent and vulnerable kids. The book aims to support the welfare of the kids worldwide.
My idea is to publish Forbidden Bond Twins' Unlikely Love if the funds are to be raised. Then followed by other books, maybe every month after the next new book.
I want to support my parents, who are still in the village, my siblings' schools, and my family, and also to become an established author so that my stories can impact the world. I know the project of the books will definitely help my parents, my family, and my siblings; even people next to me will definitely benefit from the project.
Help me to raise $1500 so that I can publish my books. I believe my books will certainly take my siblings back to school, and the other three siblings who are still in secondary education will have their future secured. My parents and my elder brother Kalaba can't manage.
