MUM MOTIVATES ME - MPILWENHLE

MBABANE – Mpilwenhle is in pursuit of a flat belly.

Her name means good life and that is all this aspirant doctor is pursuing. Mpilwenhle Ndlovu, aged nine, was supposed to be doing grade four this year, but like most children, was deprived of this right following the surge of COVID-19. It has been almost one year since schools were forced to shut down due to COVID-19 and most children have inevitably gained weight over this period. Mpilwenhle was no exception, but with the help of her mother who is a journalist in one of the local media houses, she was motivated to lose the extra pounds, flatten her belly and become more physically active.

Brace yourselves as she shares how she manages to keep fit and healthy, a lifestyle which she hopes other children would adopt. Why did you decide to start exercising? “My mother, Qolsile Sacolo, encourages me to exercise. She said I was gaining more weight. Since schools are closed, exercising keeps me busy and will help me to have a flat tummy. I turned nine last week and thanks to my mother for buying me a princess cake. Now that I am exercising everyday, I avoid eating sweet stuff, but eat a lot of fruits and drink water instead of juice.”

What type of exercises do you do? “My mother takes me for a jog around Sidwashini every morning, but we do not go too far from our house. She recently bought me a skipping rope and I also use an old tyre to do squats and steps. I am much stronger than when I started in the past week. Now I do 20 squats, 30 skips and about 30 kicks on the tyre.” How has COVID-19 affected you? “I was supposed to start swimming lessons last year, but I never did because of COVID-19. I miss school and being with my friends. I have also gained weight which I am working on losing.”

What are your future career plans? I want to be a doctor and help people to live a healthy life. I also want to be a tennis player which will help me stay fit and active.” How do you ensure that you do not contract COVID-19? “I am always at home except for when I go for a run with my mother. We use our sanitisers, wash our hands and use our face masks as well.”

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