Some children get teased in their adolescence and are not negatively affected by it. In modern times, simple teasing has turned into bullying with drastic consequences such as suicide and devastating retaliation – school shootings.
After being tormented in kindergarten and first grade, 8-year-old Lelo Kingston Mofokeng is using his experience to help others.
“One boy in my grade but not in my class used to bully me. He used to punch me in the stomach and push me around, he even threw my lunch out,” little Mofokeng is quoted by local media Kempton Express.
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“I was scared. I thought if I bumped into Ken he would hit me. So I would hide under the table during break time and cried every time I saw him. My teacher kept telling me to stop crying and that he would not hurt me, but my brain was telling me he would. My teacher called my mother but that didn’t change anything. I was terrified of Ken. I didn’t want to be at that school anymore,” he added.
Mofokeng would process his feeling about the ordeal by writing. His mother, Lerato Rakgaba realized that the knowledge he gained could benefit others. His writings then materialized into a book titled: “How I Survived Bullying.”
Mofokeng says that the bullying had stopped in 2016 after his mother intervened. “My mom told the bully to stop and he apologized and it stopped and I’m good,” confirmed Mofokeng.
The bullying stopped after Mofokeng left the first grade. He’s on cordial terms with his tormentor.
The aspiring author and animator draws illustrations of the characters he writes about all by himself. “I want to work for DreamWorks and make movies. I like drawing. If DreamWorks is ready, then I’m ready,” he said.
He had a message for bullies, “Please stop bullying others because you don’t realise how much pain you are causing to another person and their family.”
Lelo Kingston Mofokeng is currently working on four books.
