When 17-year-old author Rutendo Shadaya learned she had made Time magazine’s first-ever Girls of the Year list, she was in total disbelief – and her parents worried it was a scam. Shares the Tokoroa teen, “To this day, we have no idea how they found me. I was surprised because it’s Time magazine.”
Rutendo, the only Kiwi to make the list, has written and self-published three fantasy novels, the first of which she started writing at just nine years old.
She is being recognised as “part of a generation that’s reshaping what leadership looks like today”.
Overcoming imposter syndrome
And while Rutendo admits to feeling an element of imposter syndrome, she’s also confidently reminding herself, “I have done a lot, I do deserve it and I’m so proud that it inspires young girls who look like me or are from New Zealand.”
To celebrate the inaugural list, which was a collaboration between the magazine and Lego, Rutendo and the other nominees each had a digital Lego minifigure created in their likeness, which features in a special animated magazine cover.
It’s another surreal moment for Rutendo.
A childhood dream come true
“I used to play with a lot of Lego sets growing up,” she remembers.
“If you told my nine-year-old self I’d have a digital Lego minifigure after me one day! It’s so crazy.”
The eldest child of Zimbabwean parents Rachael and Blessing Shadaya, who migrated to Aotearoa in the early 2000s and who are also parents to son Tinofara, Rutendo’s upbringing has been a rich blend of cultures.
“It’s kept me rooted and grounded in myself,” reflects Rutendo.
Family values that shape success
She credits her parents and her Christian faith for instilling strong values that have contributed to her success.
“My parents are hard-working and sacrificed a lot – now I’m living and benefiting from that,” she enthuses.
“They taught us to work hard and put your education first, and good things will come. It’s really helped influence my ideas.”
Rachael says her daughter shows fierce determination and refuses to let age stand in her way. She remembers when they visited Zimbabwe when Rutendo was just three years old.
“She was playing outside with the other children, but they couldn’t understand her because she didn’t speak Shona [the Bantu language],” tells Rachael.
“She came back in and said, ‘I want to learn our language! Teach me now.’”
Milestones that make parents proud
Since then, Rachael has experienced countless moments of pride, including last year when Rutendo earned a spot on the YWCA Y25 list as one of 25 women under 25 making a positive difference in New Zealand.
Now celebrated on an international platform, Rachael admits, “I’m not sure how to react, but it’s a big deal, a great achievement and the community is so happy for her too.”
But when Rutendo first told her mum she was writing a book, Rachael admits she didn’t pay much attention. True to form, Rutendo persisted until Rachael realised how serious she was about it
and helped her self-publish.
Rutendo explains it all began when she was nine and wanted to give “the best birthday present ever” to her book-loving friend Sophie Thompson.
A gift that sparked a career
“Even though I actually didn’t like writing at the time, I thought, ‘Imagine her reaction when I give her a book I wrote for her,’” she recalls.
Three years later, she gifted Sophie her debut novel Rachel and the Enchanted Forest. Now Rutendo is a passionate writer with three books to her name. They’ve sold hundreds of copies and even made a profit. She already has ideas for two more in the works.
Looking to the future, Rutendo’s clear in her goals.
Big dreams ahead
“I like trying new things and going out of my comfort zone,” says Rutendo.
So what would she say to other girls dreaming of changing the world?
“My advice is whatever you’re passionate about, just build it,” she says.
“There can be a lot of being scared about how people will perceive you and yes, some people are always going to judge, like, ‘You’re too young – are you sure you should be doing this?’ “Find the people who’ll support you and envisage your end goal. I wanted to see Sophie with my books – that was my motivation. “Never let your age or background define you. Look at the other girls in Time magazine – they probably got discriminated against too at times, but did they let that define them? No, they kept on going.”
Learn more about Rutendo Shadaya and purchase her books by visiting her website.
