Book preview: Barren Not Cursed — Unathi Kolanisi

In the Q&A interview below Gateway News finds out more about wife, entrepreneur and first-time author Unathi Kolanisi and her book Barren Not Cursed

Please tell us a little about yourself

My name is Unathi Kolanisi I am 38 years old, a born-again believer, minister of God’s word and have been married for 14 years to Lubalalo Kolanisi. I got saved at the age of 20 October in 2003. I was born and bred in the King William’s Town area in a rural area called Nonkcampa Location. I was mostly raised by my grandparents with other cousins in a big family home.

My parents got divorced when I was 4 years old and I met her for the first time thereafter when I was 20 years old. I was raised in a Christian family as my grandfather was an evangelist in the Presbyterian Church of Africa.

I got married at the age of 24 to my husband who got born again at the Assemblies of God in 2002 and influenced me to get saved. We lived in Kabega Park, Port Elizabeth until October 2019 when we moved to East London due to my husband’s work. I am a graduate of NMMU in public management and am currently pursuing additional studies, doing final year in Bachelor of Arts in citizen leadership and politics, majoring in politics.

I worked for the government for more than 10 years until I took a step of faith and resigned in 2019 and started my own business called NATIS FOOD and a franchise called MAID4U — a recruitment, training and placement agency for domestic workers/cleaners/nannies and home base care workers.

What led you to write Barren Not Cursed and what can readers expect from your book?

After 14 years of marriage with many failed attempts to fall pregnant despite seeking medical help, prayer from various pastors and even confessing sins in the hope of finding a reason for my struggle, I had a life-changing conversation with the Holy Spirit. I asked Him what He exactly He wanted me to do with my situation, what was I doing wrong, and whether or not I was meant to be a mother. He replied: “I want to make you a voice for the voiceless.

Barren Not Cursed was birthed form that conversation I had with Holy Spirit in 2011. I am a living testimony that if you fix your eyes to God it is easy to live victoriously with bareness without being bitter about it.

My husband and I are strong believers and at one point took a step of faith by buying baby clothes that we prayed over after receiving a prophetic word that God was going to bless us with twins. But still nothing seemed to be happening until I heard the message from the Holy Sprit that saidL “ You are not cursed , you will have your twins at the right time but now I want you to be a VOICE OF THE VOICELESS and you will not do this from a point of bitterness but from a point of giving hope and restoring broken families due to this condition, There was a reason why I blessed you with loving husband, mother in law and sister in law.”

It is common, especially in my African culture, for a woman who can not have a child to be physically, emotionally and verbally abused yet God blessed me with a supportive family.

God gave me Scriptures with which to encourage barren women who suffer in silence, shame and humiliation. There’s so much silence and tiptoeing around the topic but yet the pain is so visible.

I undertook the book to let people know that barrenness is not a curse, to bring hope and healing to women who are ill-treated by society due to bareness and to heal marriages that are breaking due to the strain of not being able to bear children. I hope to give such couples hope that they can have healthy marriages and thrive in society and consider options such as adoption.

A key Scripture which I draw from is Isaiah 54:1 — “Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband,” says the LORD.

Every Mothers Day barren women wish to hibernate because this day reminds them of what they do not have and that they are not women enough. Every beginning of the year when school reopens barren woman wish to sleep and wake up after schools reopen because they are reminded of what they do not have. This book is going to help barren women to claim their freedom and not be bitter about not having fruit of the womb. It will also help them to celebrate women with children without resentment or bitterness.

Where can the book be purchased?

You can WhatsApp or message me at 071 907 5241 with Name- Surname and (message book) or email ukolanisi@gmail.com

Or your get it on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com./dp/B093MCGXDT?ref=pe305080 397514860#

Facebook Page: Barren Not Cursed