( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) The Compassionate Creator Has Dedicated His Career To Sharing Positive Messages and Teachings to Youth Across the Globe
ENSPIRE Contributor: Elizabeth Duchan
Trevor Romain is making waves in the publishing industry. For the past thirty years, the now Texas-based South African creator has dedicated his countless stories and illustrations to make children happier and healthier. Publishing over 50 books in 22 languages and producing an award-winning animation series featured on PBS, Romain centers his content on topics of dealing with trauma, growing up, and facing fears to provide children a source of motivation and hope.
Romain’s passion for empowering youth stemmed from a personal experience that rerouted his life. While living in South Africa, he recalls once visiting a military hospital and unexpectedly catching the attention of a four-year-old boy. The child’s legs had been severely damaged in a landmine accident, and when he spontaneously hugged Romain and cried in his arms, Romain felt an innate connection that sparked what he deems “a small micro-seed of compassion for kids.”
Thus spurred Romain’s goal of connecting with children through storytelling, which he feels has a universality that transcends any age difference. His picture books and memoirs tackle difficult topics of grief, bullying, and family issues, providing a sense of common ground and support to his young audience. Receiving wide recognition for his work, Romain was invited by the United Nations to work with children in refugee camps and orphanages across Rwanda, Burundi, and the Congo. He has also spearheaded over 1,600 school presentations and motivational speeches on a world speaking tour, where he shared his stories and experiences in over sixteen countries.
Romain recently launched the Trevor Romain Podcast earlier this year, where he offers small pockets of wisdom alongside messages of hope and kindness. He envisions the podcast being shared with broader audiences and “possibly used as the basis of a curriculum to help people learn the power of empathy.” With goals of inspiring and guiding impressionable audiences through the trials of life, As his work continues to develop with the ever-changing times, Romain hopes that his audience will grasp the power of empathy and feel a sense of support, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs. “I believe kindness can change the world, one person, at a time,” said the author, “and I don’t believe there is one person in the world who does not feel good when someone is genuinely kind to them.”
For more information about Romain’s life and work, please visit https://www.trevorromain.com/.
