Streets to success – schooling paves the way

Windermere-based non-profit-organisation I Care is working to assist street children in Durban. Their goal is to instil healthy life skills and a good work ethic into the children who pass through their system. In a four-part series, Berea Mail’s Danica Hansen hears from four men who have turned their lives around with I Care’s help.

WITH lengthy gaps in his schooling, Zamisa thought it was too late to complete his education. At 17, he could not face the classroom, thinking he was too old to make up for lost time. When he discovered I Care, his hope was renewed, and Zmisa returned to school. He matriculated at the age of 25 last year. Now he plans to further his studies and inspire others with the simple truth: It’s not too late.

Zamisa, who hails from the South Coast, lost both his parents at a young age and grew up with his grandmother in uMlazi.
“My childhood was not easy. My granny was not working; she was receiving a social grant,” he said.

Zamisa said he left school as a youngster when he struggled with bullying.
“Children at school were bullying me because they knew I didn’t have money. If I wanted to buy lunch or get something to eat, I didn’t have anything,” he said.

Also read: From streets to success – ‘my life began after rehab’

Zamisa was 15 when his grandmother passed away, and he went to live with his aunt, also in uMlazi. There he resumed his schooling briefly before he ran away from home at the age of 17. While he had not completed his schooling, Zmisa was far from the classroom, living on the Durban streets, struggling with substance use.
“Life on the street was difficult. I didn’t have enough to eat and I was taking drugs. I don’t even remember how long I was on the streets. I stopped living on the streets in 2011,” he said.

Returning to school

He first visited I Care in 2010, when he was 17. While he continued to live on the street, Zmisa visited the I Care drop-in centre regularly, building a relationship with the staff and attending programmes. Staff at I Care encouraged Zmisa to return to his schooling.
“I was not going to school at the time; I was scared to go because I was too old,” he said.

Zamisa completed his matric qualification in 2022 and began his studies toward a career in the tourism sector this year. While Zamisa once felt it was too late for him to earn an education, now he hopes to inspire others with his journey to success.
“Don’t forget where you come from. You need to go to school. Don’t listen to anyone who puts you down. Even if you are too old to go to school, don’t allow anyone to put you down. Do the right thing,” he said.

Also read: From streets to success – lost in time, but found in time

“My life has changed a lot. I think I have something to offer now. I know my grandmother would be happy because she wanted me to go to school and do something with my life,” added Zamisa.

Life lessons

While attaining his matric qualification has been a high point in Zamisa’s life, the lessons he learnt at I Care go beyond the classroom.
“I am proud of what I am doing now. I worked hard, and I am happy I passed matric. I Care taught me to go to school, to respect people, to have a future and to remember where you come from,” he said.

The change in Zamisa’s outlook on life is evident to Jabulani Mbambo, a social worker at I Care.
“He has come a long way. Although he doesn’t remember how long he was on the streets, he has come a long way since then. We are very proud of him,” said Mbambo.

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