Why Young Voices Matter: Celebrating Florence Mghoi Mlambo’s Award-Winning Book Her Legacy Lives at the 5th ACABA Gala

What do you see in these photos? For me, it’s two things—very loud, very bright, and very impossible to ignore:
𝐎𝐧𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞
In my mother tongue we say, “iyo ni ya gutu nginya gutu,” meaning a smile that stretches from one ear to the other without asking for permission. The kind of smile that makes even the camera lens blush. A smile that says, “Yes, I understood the assignment… and then understood it some more!”
𝐓𝐰𝐨: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
Fresh. Unapologetic. Radiant. The kind of youthfulness that reminds some of us that bones once moved like that.
And then somebody whispered to me, “She’s a Zillennial.”
Ah, the generation that sits so beautifully between Millennials and Gen Z. They sip hot chocolate like Millennials but take selfies like Gen Zs. They are the bridge, the hybrid, the WiFi extenders of generational culture.
But all this is not the point—at least not today.
The real point is this:
When young people write for their fellow young people, something powerful happens.
It’s like David facing Goliath—not with Saul’s oversized armour, but with his own sling and stones that fit his hands. Young voices carry a certain purity, a certain immediacy, a certain “we understand each other without overexplaining”.
So when Florence Mghoi Mlambo writes Her Legacy Lives, her generation simply gets it. No buffering. No loading wheel. No translator needed.
𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬: 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲
Step into the vibrant stories of Biblical heroines—told with wit, honesty, and a refreshing youthful glow. This book blends ancient wisdom with the everyday realities of modern girls navigating life, faith, friendships, and the occasional identity crisis. Think Esther meets Nairobi traffic. Ruth meets social media. Deborah meets 21st-century purpose.
It’s inspiring, it’s relatable, and yes—it will make you laugh, reflect, and possibly text your best friend a verse you hadn’t thought about since Sunday School.
And so, in front of a cheering room at the 5th ACABA Gala, Florence was announced as Top Content Awardee in The Young Category (that accomodates children, teenagers and young adults books).
We later caught up with her to ask what was happening inside her heart in that sacred split second.
This is what she said:
“I won’t lie, I was shocked. Humbled, grateful, and completely overwhelmed in the best way. And standing there, I couldn’t help but remember that this all started as an act of obedience. Seeing it honoured like this still feels so surreal.”
And honestly, that’s the beauty of it all.
When God takes an obedient “yes” whispered by a young person…
He turns it into a testimony, a platform, and sometimes—into a smile so wide it threatens to leave the face and walk on ahead.
We celebrate Florence.
We celebrate her generation.
And we celebrate every young author whose pen is becoming a pulpit, whose book is becoming a bridge, and whose story is becoming a seed in the hearts of their peers.
Because truly, her legacy lives—and so does theirs.
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Evelyne Mwakina
Evelyne Mwakina
16/12/2025 12:44 am

Congratulations, Flo🌟
“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you… to give you victory.” — Deuteronomy 20:4
Keep shining, Flo. Keep serving our Creator, God Almighty. With God, you have what it takes, and great opportunities await you—“what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Congratulations on winning this award May this be only the beginning of greater victories ahead❤️😘😘

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