BEING a car guard is usually a last resort for many job seekers, but a KwaNgcolosi resident will always treasure that era of his life as it exposed him to a different perspective.
Bonokuhle Mbonambi, who is now an accomplished businessman, with the help of many people along the way, wants to give back to his impoverished community.
He said it has bothered him that when people become successful they leave the area and start another life in a better place with better resources, however he does understand as the area he was born and bred in, is far from civilisation.
“KwaNgcolosi is outside Hillcrest but is so under resourced, many people are living under terrible conditions and unemployment is a huge issue,” he said.
After being exposed to all of those conditions, Bonokuhle, known to his community as Bono, decided to start an NPO, Senzokuhle Community Development. Senzokuhle is a Zulu word meaning, we are doing good.
“Being educated has always been a priority for me. When I was in high school I would go and look for garden jobs in the Hillcrest and Kloof area.”
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He said when he matriculated, a project of erecting toilets in the area was presented to the community.
“I worked there for a year and when it ended I was out of a job and went to work for an insurance company for a short while, that also did not work out as we were paid on commission. That is when I decided to become a car guard instead of staying at home.
“Being there exposed me to the urban life, a life which was completely different from the place I was born. I saw that there is hope out there and with faith and hard work, anything is possible.”
When he was still getting used to his new life, he met a man, Mbusi Dlamini, who introduced him to his friend who had a construction company.
“I started as a general worker and then a storeman. My employer told me that he felt as if I was being wasted as a storeman so I was appointed as a junior foreman and after some time, I got promoted to be a senior foreman.”
He said the reason he excelled at his job in the construction company was because he did Maths, Science and drawing at school so it was easy to adapt and understood the work more easily than others.
“Because my dream was to pursue my education, I asked my employer to pay me half my salary so that I could save for my studies.
In 2007 I resigned and enrolled at the Durban University of Technology to do a National Diploma in building construction management and quantity surveying.
“I received a scholarship and after finishing my diploma and joined another construction company, That was a learning curve for me, I knew where I was heading and the things I wanted to achieve.”
The proud husband and father said he was the first one in his family to get a diploma.
“In 2013 I started my own construction company and today, I have a wife, children, a house and cars including a TLB (tractor) which I never thought was possible.
“What bothers me now is the high unemployment in my community, drug abuse and poverty. I have called community meetings to try and tackle these issues and work together with the people.
“Our major issue is that we do not even have a community hall, our meetings are held at the side of the road. He said their biggest wish now is to build a community hall that would be a start of many beautiful things.
“That hall could be used for many things, be hired out for events and functions. One of the rooms can be used as a crèche, young people can gather there for singing, dancing and drama groups,” he said
Land has been donated to them by member of the community.
“We have a plan drawn and with my construction background and skills, we can build the hall, but we need building material and are asking businesses and individuals to help us.”
Anyone who can assist can contact Bono on 073 4876 750 or email bono@odgconstruction.co.za.
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