Dr Nakeisha Maharaj publishes fourth book in pandemic

Dr Nakeisha Maharaj wears many hats: writer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, a single mother of two, and a minister of a Christian organisation.

Maharaj, also called Nikki Maraj, 39, is from Indian Walk, Moruga, but migrated to the US and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

She is the CEO of Royalty African Fabrics and Accessories and RAB African dolls, online stores in Trinidad, which she manages.

Maharaj has a doctorate in Christian theology from International Miracle Institute in Florida and a BA in early childhood education from a US college. She is a full-time minister in the Fountain of Life Ministries in the US.

She recalled that she also dreamt of becoming her own boss as a child.

In 2019, while scrolling through Facebook, she stumbled upon a live stream by a pastor. Maharaj said he prophesied that she would be writing books.

"A year later, in 2020, I felt like a sheet came over me. The words and ideas came naturally. I started writing children’s books during the pandemic. I have written about 11 books so far, and four are published," Maharaj said. "It is by the grace of God I am able to write so many books in such a short space of time. The words just keep flowing because of him. When a person shows kindness to others, it comes back to the person."

All four of her children’s books are self-published. The latest – Corona Here, Corona There, Corona You Better Leave This Year! – is a collaboration with her ten-year-old son Cristofer Maharaj.

"It is about the positives and negatives of the pandemic. I always wanted to be there for my kids and be able to do things with them,"　Maharaj said."I know single parents go through a lot, but all is not lost."

Maharaj praised her son for his contribution to the book. She referred to him and his five-year-old sister, Jzodha, as her greatest joy and love.

Her first book, Called to Purpose, was published in September 2020 and did well on Amazon, she reported.

Published in February, her second book (Scrappy was in Love with an Owl: Will you be my Valentine?) became a number one best-seller in children's Valentine's ebooks on Amazon.

Her third book, Thank you God for Another Day, published in June, featured in Amazon’s children’s religious fiction category.

It also earned her second place in the religious category of the 2021 TCK Publishing readers’ choice award contest. TCK Publishing is an independent publishing company formed in 2011.

Locally, the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) honoured her in July as part of its Journey to Publication series for the book Called to Purpose. Nalis's Facebook page says the series aim to engage and connect with readers, writers, and potential writers to feature the inspiration and drive of its 2021 first-time authors during their writing process.

In addition, "I mentor aspiring authors, free of charge. I show them the ins and outs of publishing a book," Maharaj said in a phone interview.

Apart from spending time with her children, managing her businesses, explaining the meaning of scriptures and other religious writings and praying for people, Maharaj devotes time to helping others.

For the past five years, she has been buying and giving out items, like food and school supplies, to the less fortunate.

"I do a lot of charity work here and in Trinidad. Before the pandemic, every year we (she and relatives) would do sales and use part of the profits to buy and distribute school supplies to children of single parents and other needy people (in Moruga and environs)," Maharaj said.

"I also send money to community representatives to help people who cannot afford to buy items and to help with children’s education."

She also organises food distribution drives to help families, especially single parents in the US. Maharaj said she enjoys helping others, and her children love to do the same.

She said as an entrepreneur, she has sat on panels discussing financial literacy among youths.

She has been a featured guest on a podcast hosted by American Public University System (APUS), sharing her knowledge on how to self-publish books from start to finish. APUS comprises the American Military University and American Public University.

She has also been featured on The Lady Tracey show, hosted by Jamaican radio personality Tracey Williams. It airs on the UK-based Unity Live Radio. Apart from the UK, this online radio has DJs and presenters from allover the world, including Jamaica and Ghana.

In April, the Bahamas-based Distinctive Woman of Worth (DWOW) magazine featured her in its Spotlight series. The magazine congratulated Maharaj for "making an impact in God's kingdom and the community."

All four books are available on Amazon.