By Lize Kubersky Creative powder keg from the South, Desirer turned aspirer Marinda Stein, talks about her life as a television producer, writer and creator. Born in Keetmanshoop, the 1994 Suiderlig matriculant stood nose in book and head in clouds on becoming a lawyer. She applied at the University of Stellenbosch and was accepted, but failed to get a bursary. This meant deciding either to get a job and pay for her own studies, as her father was unable to support her financially as a working class man. However, Marinda’s undying creative spirit led her to apply for a Traineeship scheme at the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) in 1995. “My inborn creativity, combined with my self-confidence, allowed me to do my best. Eventually I graduated and started working at the NBC as production assistant under the guidance of producer, Hilda Basson,” Stein said proudly. But she wanted to understand the workings of television in its totality, and so embarked on further studies. In 1997, Marinda applied for her National Diploma in Video Technology in Durban and returned to the scene with skills in script-writing, editing, lighting, and she started producing at the NBC in 2000. She worked on programmes such as ‘For Youth’ and ‘Tutaleni’ as well as ad hoc productions like graduations, elections, budget speeches, Miss Namibia and the Music Makers in 2002. In March 2003, she took a decision to leave the NBC. “Change was inevitable. At the time I felt I had reached creative saturation point at the NBC. I needed a fresh start to allow myself room to grow, so I resigned.” She was successfully interviewed for a job at One Africa Television in 2003, and she is now head of production. “When I started here, multi-tasking was a necessity. To establish infrastructure, to render standard from the beginning, meant equipping myself with all the skills possible,” Stein asserted. Interacting with the viewers has allowed Marinda to scrutinize what should be produced. “We engaged in an ‘SMS’-campaign in which the audience illustrated what television shows it would prefer. ‘Winna Mariba’ on One Africa Television is one of the end results of that public pursuit. Engaging with people, including informing advertisers, we change perceptions of information literacy and this contributes greatly as a humanitarian endeavour wanting to help shape society,” she said. Marinda is thriving, and content. ” I am in love with my work – it is how I breathe. But two milestones on my journey would definitely be writing a compilation of memories made in the South. My people have stories that need to be told. Folklore, tradition and heritage that need to be held on to, otherwise it might get lost in the movement of time and technology,” she said reminiscently. “Producing local films for a local audience is a chosen obligation. I want to produce work people will grasp and can identify themselves with. What remains is being true and staying enthused by life,” she said. As a female creator of visual information, Marinda glows in the ambience of her mission, to produce and to create.