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My name is Noma, and I am a self-made home gardener. My goal is to inspire as many people as possible to start their own home gardens so that they can eat and live healthier lives.

When I first started gardening, I never imagined how big of a role it would play in my life. Gardening positively changed my physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Before embarking on my gardening journey, I used to worship junk food! Meals containing greasy, spicy and filling foods were my go-to meals. Soon enough, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) caught up with me when the doctor asked – do you eat vegetables?

The truth was, I only ate vegetables when I had to. In fact, even if I bought vegetables, they would stay in the fridge until they would go bad, which gave me the perfect excuse to throw them away. At this point, I knew something had to change, and I knew that I had to make that change.

And so, my gardening journey began five years ago when hubby and I moved into our first house and decided that a house is not a home without a garden. This way of thinking was also the best way for me to eat more veggies because once you’ve laboured to grow your own veggies, it just hurts too much to see them go to waste.

The first two years of gardening were a joke because we both grew up with parents who loved gardening. However, we had zero gardening experience and didn’t know where to start. But we had to start somewhere. So, we sliced a store-bought tomato and put it in the ground, along with a few sweet potatoes. The tomatoes sprouted up surprisingly fast, and soon enough, we harvested a handful of happiness. But the sweet potatoes, on the other hand, didn’t give us much when we pulled out the plants. So then, hubby and I decided to put gardening on hold to focus on having our baby boys.

In 2019 I was done with the babies and ready to go back into gardening. But because we neglected our garden for so long, it was covered in grass. We then decided to dig it all out and start the garden all over again. As soon as we started digging, we were greeted with a pleasant surprise of sweet potatoes! Lots and lots of them! For me, this was an undeniable sign that I was meant to use this space for gardening. And that’s how @GardentoPot was born. First on Instagram, and now, we are blowing up on TikTok. As I’m learning to grow, I’m also learning to cook healthier, and that’s the type of content I share on my social media platforms. My boys are also learning to love the garden, from sowing seeds to harvesting and eating carrots.

I am truly humbled and honoured by how everyone has received my content. Now I see that there is a real need for people to be able to grow their own nutritious food with no harmful chemicals. Today my garden is my therapy, it teaches me about how life & nature work together. My garden is also my purpose, it helps me inspire others to garden and to take control of their nutrition.

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For most young black girls living in remote rural and underdeveloped villages, dreams and goals seem arid and/or impossible to reach. I know that because I was once that young black girl whose dreams were clouded by the societal misconceptions of what a woman can and should be. Having a conversation with Noxolo felt like revisiting the long-buried memories of my childhood. A time when I had an irresistible burning desire to be heard, seen, and recognized for what I could offer the world. And for a moment, I wished someone had told me that I wasn’t crazy for wanting to be more than what society had dictated for my life. Which is why sharing Noxolo’s passion for art, an area predominantly known to be a “white man’s field”, was an honour. This is how our conversation went:

MK: Briefly tell me about your upbringing, qualifications, aspirations and hobbies.

Noxolo: I am 22 years old. My grandmother raised me in Ntinini village, in KwaZulu-Natal. Later in 2016, I moved to Gauteng to complete grade 11 and 12 at Boitumelong Secondary School, located in Tembisa township (Sedibeng section). In 2018, I started my National Diploma in Food Technology at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). Now, I am a quality intern at Kellogg’s Springs Plant.

I do a lot of writing. I write short stories, poems and some of the poems have been published by Avbob poetry. I was also shortlisted in writing a children’s anthology by Kwasukasukela books. And last year, I fell in love with painting and drawing.

My hobbies include acting, monologues, writing, painting, watching animation and comedy movies. My greatest aspiration is to bring change to the world through art.

MK: At what age did the desire to create art through writing, painting, and drawing arise?

Noxolo: When I was nine years old, my mother passed away. Life became so hard because I started a new life with my grandma’s family- my mom’s aunt. I found it so hard to adapt and fit in at my grandma’s place from the very start. One of the reasons that made it challenging to adapt was that no one really understood me because I was slightly introverted. My heart was constantly aching and bleeding because the scene of my mother’s last days was stuck in my mind, and I had no courage to talk about it. So during those difficult times, pen and paper became my friends. At first, I used to write letters for my late mother. That is when I realized that writing was my healing process, making me feel happy.

I fell in love with poetry after reading the poetry anthology titled “Izinkwazi Zothukela” by M. Makhanya. I was intrigued by the nature of poems, and I got a lot of inspiration from that book. So, in 2017, I started to write poems. Over the years, I have been writing about hope and love. Fortunately, some of those poems have been published. I love poetry because it allows me to touch souls and hold the hands of the hopeless.

The idea of a painting came when I was building characters for my short story. In brief, the story narrates as follows: “There was this young widow named Grace. After her husband and her only child lost their lives in a horrific car accident, Grace was left swimming in the pool of tears, breathing pain, and there were absolutely no words that could make her feel better.” So from that, I asked myself, “what is it that can possibly make my protagonist “Grace” feel better?” And the answer that came to my mind was “paintings”. And instantly, I knew I had to try to execute this idea.

I chose painting because sometimes words aren’t enough, but what we see is all that matters, and we can analyze or narrate our stories from what we see. So, when Grace glanced at the wall, she saw this painting that whispered in her ears. And suddenly, a smile appeared on her face. Well, that’s how I started painting. Some of the paintings I’ve done taught me that painting is not about perfection but the emotions it evokes when looking at it.

MK: Ever since you started writing, did you have any challenges that made you want to quit? Challenges such as; prolonged writer’s block or inevitable personal challenges that made writing seem pointless.

What did you do to overcome those challenges?

Noxolo: I have never been in a position where I felt like quitting because every single day, it’s like a new fabric that I use to create stories. However, like anyone else, I have had challenges here and there. The major challenge is that I tend to jump from one story to another before finishing the previous one from a writer’s perspective. Ironically, I know how to fix this problem, but I still repeatedly find myself hurdling the same situation.

At some point, I realized that my dream of having a successful novel on the market was probably a vague idea. So last year (2020), I decided to focus only on poetry and do the collection titled “The rainbow of feelings”. In the turn of events, I even transformed some of the pieces I never finished into free verse poems. And by God’s Grace, I believe that I will finish it.

MK: Most often, it’s either you draw and paint, or you write. It’s rarely both. You are amongst the few artists who them simultaneously, and on the other hand, you still managed to pursue a career in food sciences. What’s the trick?

Noxolo: That’s a good question because food science is a busy industry, primarily where I work. However, if whatever you have on your plate makes you happy, it doesn’t affect the scale. Art is my therapy and forever joy. Sometimes I thank God for it because it helps me ease the stress of work.

MK: Would you, at some point, consider creating art (through creative writing, painting and drawing) as a full-time career? Or is it something you want to keep as a side hobby/side-hustle?

Noxolo: No. I don’t think I would be financially stable if I could consider art as a full-time career. It’s better as a hobby/side-hustle.

MK: Most people see art as a risky and unstable career. What was the primary inspiration behind your vision to “create” from such a young age? But I guess you have answered it, or is there something you would want to add to that?

Noxolo: I totally agree. Art is a risky career. However, if you try to blend it with other things, the statement changes. That’s what I want to do. At some point, I want to integrate art with food science. Part of my vision board includes a dream to start a coffee shop business with a unique touch of art in it. Depending on my customer’s preferences, it won’t be just a cup of coffee, but a cup of coffee topped with an original quote or an illustration.

MK: You have a creative mindset. Open-minded and goal-driven young individual. I love that about you. What message(s) would you say you are trying to translate through your art?

Noxolo: *All shall be well*.

It might not be today, but eventually, everything will fall into place. I want people to know that some things are beyond our control. Like when God has decided to agree with life’s enemy, life has no choice but to come to an end. So, what can we say without saying goodbye?

Mostly, I want people to see a glimpse of hope through my work.

MK: When you hear the phrase “Start Now”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

Noxolo: There’s no better time than now, and you’ll never know your capabilities until you try. I know this because I wouldn’t have ever known that I could paint if I didn’t try.

MK: Last but not least, what does self-evolution mean to you?

Noxolo: To me, self-evolution is about being aware of your strengths and weaknesses. The corrective actions you take to improve yourself and to know what keeps you going.

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When I first found out that I had cancer, I was terrified. The word cancer itself upholds a weight that is shattering, draining, and discouraging. To add on to the fear, I tortured myself by reading about cancer and watching fictitious cancer films where almost everyone with a cancer diagnoses ended up dying.

Then the time for treatments came. First radiotherapy and surgery and later chemotherapy. Although all treatments came with their effects and challenges, chemotherapy stood out for me because of its systemic adverse effects. I remember preparing myself to lose my hair because I thought that would be the worst thing to ever happen to me. But once I started with the treatment, losing my hair became the least of my worries.

My first cycle of chemotherapy (Doxorubicin and Ifosfamide) was not that frightening. I continued my life as nothing had happened. Attending classes and going on with my daily routines as any other normal person would. However, that did not last long because by the second cycle, I had already started losing my hair and I could feel the “poison” flow through my veins to my brain and down to my feet. I also began to experience other side effects of the chemotherapy medication such as:

Tiredness and dizziness. Every time right after a cycle (1 cycle every 3 weeks for seven months), I would feel like I was struck by lightning. This effect was also made worse by the opioids medications (mostly sedatives) that I was taking for the neuropathic pain.

To ease these effects, I would make sure to only take other medications only if I need them so that I can at least do some schoolwork and attend classes.

Nausea and vomiting were always a given, especially during the first days of treatment. Although they usually administer medications for this before they put the chemo drip. It was never enough for me. They would, also, on top of that, prescribe antiemetic drugs (such ondansetron) to take home. Which I believe made a huge difference in easing my nausea. Eating non-greasy food, and in small bits was also helpful for me in avoiding vomiting.

Nutritional supplements (on top of vitamins and iron tablets) are also essential to keep your energy levels up. Especially if you are struggling to eat solid meals.

Always keeping a bucket by your bedside is also important. As is traveling with a brown paper bag to avoid making a mess when vomiting.

Mouth sores, loss of appetite, and metallic taste. This was the reason why I lost so much weight. I could not eat as much food as I needed and at some point, I developed a deficiency in some nutrients. What helped me in this instance was switching to a liquid diet and supplements as noted above. To boost my iron levels, I used to try and eat chicken or ox livers.

Prolonged wound healing. For some time I had no sensation on my left foot and some parts of the leg. This put me at greater risk of getting injuries without realizing it. Unattended injuries would consequently lead to infections and with low white cells count and general compromised immune system, healing can become a struggle.

Self-care and wearing protective shoes/clothing around the affected area can minimize the risk of injuries and infections. 

Constipation was another issue for me and not diarrhea. Which I dealt with by drinking a lot of water (applies for both constipation and diarrhea) and taking prescribed laxatives.

Dark patches on knuckles, nails, lips, and hands. Like other side effects, this usually goes away after the treatment. It is important to take care of yourself daily. Continue to put the effort into making sure that you look good. Moisturize your hands regularly to counteract the dryness. Do your nails if that is your thing, or just put nice nail polish, makeup, etc.

Cardiotoxicity. As I mentioned earlier, Doxorubicin is one of the chemotherapy drugs I was using. One of its long-term effects includes heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and shortness of breath. Among the long-term effects, these have been the hardest effects to deal with. Especially because they come unexpectedly and it is difficult to explain.

Loss of libido. If you are sexually active, it is important to speak to your partner about some changes that might occur during and post-treatment. Such changes may include loss of libido and or vaginal dryness.

Endnote

If you are (or taking care of someone who is ) undergoing chemotherapy treatment, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or the nurses for advice on how to better manage the symptoms and side effects according to your treatment. Also remember, a positive mindset can bring a lot more change than you can anticipate.

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