Kwanele

It’s hard to breath right now.  I just went on a trip to deliver the last of the food parcels with Elisa, Brittany, Kelsey, Chelsey and Riise.  A boy from the church was there to help us deliver the parcels.  All of us assumed nothing of it and believed him to be a volunteer from church until our last delivery.  Our last delivery was his home.  At first Chelsey, Brittany and I stayed in the car due to the cold and were unaware it was his home.  We soon entered what was the most difficult home that I have seen thus far.  The back door was punctured with holes, which let the cold air in.  The kitchen had minimal appliances and did not look sanitary to prepare food in at all.  There was only one bedroom and it was the boy, Kwanele’s room.  He explained that the shack used to be his Grandpa’s.  His grandpa passed away and left the house to his parents, his brother and him.  His dad passed in 2005 and his mom passed away a month ago, leaving his brother and him to fend for themselves.  Kwanele explained that his brother lives in a shack in the back and drinks most of the day.

Kwanele’s room had a ceiling made of wooden planks with poor insulation from the cold, if any.  The light switch was hanging by a wire from the ceiling.  He had black and white pictures from Facebook hanging in his room that showed his choir and church.  He told us he was still in high school, but his dream was to go to the university someday, even though he didn’t have any money right now.  He pulled out a course guidebook from the University of Cape Town and told us he liked to read it and decide what courses he would like to take.  His dream is to become an opera singer and he would enjoy business as a backup.  I got emotional the second he pulled out the course book and said he loved to read it.  That course book symbolized so much to him; a look into the future, a dream and a way to provide for his family.  Brittany then pulled out the business card for, “These Numbers Have Faces” program and handed it to Kwanele.  She explained how it could possibly help him pay for college someday.  The look on Kwanele’s face overtook me.  His smile was huge as he promised that he would put the card in a safe place and contact Justin as soon as he got to a computer in town.

We then exchanged names for Facebook and took a picture with Kwanele in front of his home.  I gave him a hug goodbye and made him promise me that he would contact Justin and never give up on making his dreams come true.  While I was hugging Kwanele I broke into tears; the kind of tears where you cannot speak or breathe.  How inspirational that Kwanele still attends school and pursues his dreams after all that he has experienced in life.  Kwanele chooses to rise above the constant obstacles of not having food and money and stay positive and follow his passions.  Some struggle to follow their passion while having fewer obstacles.  By now, Kwanele could have easily joined gang activity in Guguletu or joined his brother in abusing alcohol but instead he chose to live a life where he can be something someday.  His story was so moving that it could at this point in my journey really have an extreme impact.  I plan on following up with Kwanele as I watch him accomplish his goals.