By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
WIDA Tausif didn’t want her dream to stay a dream.
Even at 23 years of age, the Narre Warren South kinder teacher was determined not to let doubt overcome her hope of being a writer.
It was the impetus for Wida to write and self-publish her first book, Don’t Give Up On Your Dreams – a children’s picture book about – you guessed it – chasing your dreams.
“Personally I did face a few obstacles, there was discouragement from a few people but I just kept going,” Wida said.
“I want to encourage young children that if they have a passion, don’t give up.”
While her first book was officially launched just last week, Wida isn’t a stranger to writing. As well as contributing articles to magazines the 23-year-old loves poetry and has penned many of her own poems.
Having been born in war-torn Afghanistan before moving to New Zealand and then Australia, Wida already has a wealth of experiences to draw on when putting pen to paper.
“A lot of girls back home, in the Middle East and parts of Asia, they don’t have enough rights do things with life, they’re encouraged to stay home,” Wida said.
“So for a woman to go out and do something, it encourages the community.
“A lot of my friends have a lot of dreams.”
Already Wida’s dreams seem closer with every step. When she couldn’t find anyone to publish her book, she published it herself.
When she felt like she was being deterred from writing she continued to pen poems, with one of them even being selected to go on display at a human rights exhibition in Vancouver, Canada.
A passionate humanitarian, Wida believes writing can serve as the perfect conduit to further her cause.
“I try to promote peace through poetry,” she said.
“Words are strong, and we can use them as a weapon.”
For more information, visit Wida’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Wida-Tausif-177348115702973/
