Hi, I‘m Ros
My biggest role and honour in life is being Mom to my three children, Caitlin, Connor and Max. Together, we love the power of stories and creating adventures, making memories, and helping others.
After all, no matter what life throws your way, the life you choose to create determines the places you go and the people you impact. If I could choose one word to be known for it would be ‘IMPACTOR’, so, when an opportunity arises to make a difference, my heart and my head says YES.
  • Yes, to purpose.
  • Yes, to making a difference.
  • Yes, to impact.
  • Yes, to education.
  • Yes, to uplifting.
  • Yes, to bringing joy!
I have an immense gratitude for life and a deep appreciation for family and friends. Known for my many words and talkative nature, writing feels like a natural part of who I am and who I was created to be.
I love the power of words and the impact they can make when used wisely and kindly. Words can bring life to seemingly dead situations, they can bring hope and joy.
And, if I can be a hope bringer and joy carrier then I’m ready to share my writing journey with the world.
I am proudly South African and passionate about uplifting education in our beautiful country. Education is the key to unlocking the potential of our next generation. Raising a generation of literate readers is to key to raising a generation of strong and empowered leaders.
My heart is for bringing equal opportunity for all children to have exposure to reading books and a solid education, with values and leadership skills that will release them into a future of hope and opportunity.
Join me on my writing journey and let’s see where it takes us.
I am the CEO and Founder of a South African non profit trust, The LEARN Project, which stands for Let’s Educate A Rainbow Nation.
The LEARN Project began in 2012 as a passion project and has grown significantly through collaboration with individuals, corporates, donor and beneficiary schools, NGO’s, The Department Of Education, as well as the NECT, through my role as the KZN Lead Provincial Support Partner of the Presidents Reading Champion Programme.
The LEARN Project has transformed many disadvantaged schools through the power of books and literacy, creating sustainable libraries and book corners. It also offers teacher training workshops, with ongoing support and school visits to achieve lasting impact.
With over 90,000 children’s books distributed to date, 29 school libraries and 355 classroom book corners, we celebrate Inspiring Hope, Instilling Change and Impacting lives, one book at a time.
www.thelearnproject.co.za
7 Fun facts about Ros
  • I am a Foundation Phase teacher by profession, but no longer teach full time.
  • I’ve taught from age 3 to Grade 3 and love every stage of development in early childhood.
  • I’ve taught music, drama, and dance for Foundation Phase, creating productions and musicals for schools. The drama queen in me is still very much there.
  • I run an NGO in education called The LEARN Project which has been creating sustainable libraries and book corners in South African schools since 2012.
  • I am a mom of three beautiful children who love stories just as much as I do. Made up stories are our favourite!
  • I love to dance and still attend ballet classes which bring me so much joy. Never stop doing what you love!
  • I LOVE to write and always have a journal and pen on hand or my note section on my phone ready to jot down ideas or elaborate on a story … or two … or three. Multitasking is my superpower!
Author Q&A
Where do you get your ideas from?

I draw my inspiration from seeing the world through the lenses of my three children. As a child the view is untainted and wonderous. I love how they notice details and see beauty in the world around them. Imagination is a powerful tool when you let it run wild! Writing is such a wonderful expression of creativity. We are filled with words of wonder that stem from our experiences and that, together with harnessing the power of the imagination is where the magic of creating stories lies. I truly believe there are stories in all of us.

I have always had a love for children and a passion for children’s books. Our young people are our next generation who will become our future leaders. As a mom, teacher, and founder of the South African non-profit trust, The LEARN Project, I am passionate about educating, equipping, and empowering children through the power of books and stories. One of my favourite parts about being an author is the places my books take me to and the people I meet along the way. Visiting schools and author readings are a highlight, as are special visits to bookstores and book fairs across SA. I love being a children’s book author and sharing my writing and passion for books with the world.

All six of my children’s books are written in rhyme and have a rhythm and flow. I love the power of words, especially the impact they make when used wisely and kindly and the message they carry when used meaningfully. I love writing stories that have purpose. Purpose that extends beyond the words on the page and into the hearts of those reading it. I aim to ignite imaginations and create books that are fun, adventurous, and engaging, yet at the same time educational and informative, sharing values and imparting newfound knowledge.

I am proudly South African and love the diversity of nature and wildlife. Each animal is so unique, and many are now endangered. Creating awareness around these animals is so important on our quest to protect them and avoid extinction. I love researching animal characteristics and qualities and then weaving them into a story so that children can get to know interesting facts about them and develop a deeper appreciation for wildlife. Conservation is very important to me.

Living in the now and embracing my God given talents and gifts brings me immense joy. I love anything creative. Ballet classes, baking, arts and crafts, writing, poetry and dreaming up new children’s books. Writing brings me joy and flows from within me. It is a natural part of who I am.

Actively working towards my hopes and dreams is so fulfilling. Having a clear vision, connected to my ‘why’ is the biggest motivator. Know your why. Find your purpose. Doing what I love every day is something I will never take for granted. Now is the time to live life to the full and this means intentionally living in the moment and sharing my gifts and talents with the world.

Reflecting on the writing process, a few things come to mind.

What I’ve learnt along my author journey is that big dreams are worth waiting for and working towards.

Step by step, day by day, month by month. Passion propelling you forward, vision alight. I’ve learnt through lived experience that everything you need is already within you, but what is required is grit, determination, perseverance, and commitment to the process of seeing a dream become reality.

The creative process of writing children’s books has many layers, every detail important in bringing a story to life that captures imagination, hearts, and minds. This process is certainly not linear, but wow it fills my cup to overflowing when everything starts coming together and all the little details from illustrations to editing creates something uniquely beautiful. When the words just flow and the ideas abound, especially when you create the margin needed to allow the creative process to naturally unfold.

  1. Believe in yourself. Everything you need is already within you.
  2. Just start. Start with your ‘why’ and the rest will flow from there.
  3. Time is your most valuable asset. Use it wisely.
  4. Imagination unlocks creativity.
  5. Find inspiring spaces and places to write from.
  6. Always have a journal and pen on hand for when creativity strikes.
  7. Write down ideas as and when they come to mind, so they don’t get forgotten about.
  8. Preparation is key. Success comes from prepared places.
  9. Research into your topic of choice. Ask the experts for their input.
  10. Pause before submitting. Proofread your own work before sharing it with others.
  11. Proactively activate your dream and live your purpose.

The Speedy Six Olympics, The Forgotten Four, The Feathered Five and The Nocturnal Nine.

Each of my latest books come with an embedded QR code in the front of the book, which once scanned with your phone gives you FREE access to the audio recording of the book. It’s that quick and simple! The audio stories of these books are an added bonus feature that we added to enhance the value and experience of each book.

It has been a long-time dream to have my books available as audio books and I decided to make that dream a reality. I contacted local Durban recording studio, Sonic Studios, led by Colin Peddie, who is outstanding in the work that he produces and together we added a whole new dimension to these four latest releases.

I truly believe in the value of audio books, as they have the power to bring the story to life and provide a wonderful opportunity for children to hear the story read to them with expression and intonation, making them feel part of the story they are listening to. There is a great need for more audio books as this would mean more children would have access to stories read to them, building upon their vocabulary and encouraging reading for meaning and for enjoyment. Catering for all senses is so important in developing the whole child and catering for all learning styles. 

I am delighted to share that The Speedy Six Olympics was narrated by none other than world renowned South African author, poet, playwright, director, performer and storyteller, Dr Gcina Mhlope! This multi-talented lady was the perfect voice over for this exciting and fast paced story of the animal Olympics out in the wild and I just love the audio of this story! 

The Forgotten Four is a story close to home as it features my three children and I going on an African safari adventure in search for the Big Five, which leads us to the discovery of the lesser mentioned  ‘Forgotten Four’. Packed with interesting facts about African wildlife, this game drive adventure is one to remember! In deciding on who to use for the audio recording of this story, my wonderful publisher at Penguin Random House South Africa encouraged me to do the voice over narration of this story, making it my audio narration debut. 

Radio personality, Carol Ofori brought the audio narration of The Feathered Five to life, with her rich and engaging voice, taking the listener into the wild as the birds navigate the cacophony of the Hadedas early morning call, and excuse after excuse make their way late to the Yellow-billed Kites welcome home migration celebration party. This audio incorporates the actual bird calls into the story, making it even more entertaining and enjoyable.

The Nocturnal Nine is a collaboration with young Durban talent. Sbusiso Msomi plays the role of Game Ranger Dumi and Max Toerien, Blake Jones, Anathi Ndungani, Mackenzie Goosen and Tikoa Nyman play the role of the children, captivating the listener as they go on a night time adventure in search for The Nocturnal Nine. This audio incorporates the natural sounds of the wild and nocturnal animal calls, bringing the story to life as you experience an evening game drive to remember.

Whilst audio books provide an essential resource for children with visual and or hearing impairments or challenges, ensuring they have direct access to literature, audio books are for absolutely everyone! There is such value in listening to a story being told and following along in the book to take in the illustrations which enhance the storyline. Audio books develop listening skills and they make story time fun and exciting. They are perfect as a bed time story or for long car trips, (in the case of these wildlife books, perfect for trips to the game reserve.) Audio books are a valuable educational tool that can complement traditional reading and support various aspects of a child’s development. 

  1. Listening to audio books helps children develop their listening skills and ability to focus for longer periods. Hearing stories read aloud can improve children’s comprehension skills and ability to think critically about the narrative.
  2. Audio books expose children to new words and phrases, which can improve their vocabulary and understanding of language.
  3. Audio books can make stories even more engaging and enjoyable, fostering a lifelong love of reading through the power of listening.
  4. Audio books can introduce children to the author or narrator on a more personal basis, igniting an even greater excitement for story time. Hearing skilled narrators read aloud can model fluent reading and expressive storytelling for children.
  5. Listening to stories can enhance a child’s imagination and inspire creativity.

Here’s to more audio books being made available to both children and adults. Their value is golden and the benefits are numerous. I can’t wait to bring more audio books to life! 

“And one day became today. She embraced the gifts that God had given her and shared them with the world.”