KTD196 keeps Hlulani on a straight path

Keep The Dream196 is a Tzaneen based organisation that has been working with orphaned and vulnerable children for the last 11 years and 16 years unofficially.

Now KTD196 has made a huge impact in a variety of spheres for these children.

One of their students, Hlulani, writes:

My name is Hlulani, I grew up in a dysfunctional environment where life was shaped by the behaviour of the community, and some may call it peer-pressure. I was born on November 6, 1994 in a family whereby my father was the only bread winner, this had an impact on my growth.

As I grew up I had to go to school with people who had enough in their homes. I watched them tease me because I never had pocket money, I went to school not enjoying it but because I was forced to go. When I was doing grade 5 I went to initiation school and it was a turning point for me, life became a mess, I became someone else I never believed I was.

When I was in grade 6, both my parents had to go and work in Johannesburg to supplement the family needs, they left me with my neighbour to look after me. I dropped out of school, I unleashed my so called “pseudo manhood”, I thought I had it all under control and knew what I was doing, Pity I had no idea I was only fantasising which fantasies would never have had flourished.

I was naughty, I didn’t listen to people who tried advising me because I thought I was a man enough.

I repeated grade 6. I was always fighting and when interrogated, I had no sugar-way of talking to adults, I was always rude. In grade 7, I met people who were almost thinking the same way as I did, we influenced each other, wherein a class a teacher could only reach the two-front rows, We enjoyed that because that’s what we wanted, we did not want to be in the spotlight with teachers. At that time I was involved with an organisation called Sizanani which worked together with Keep the Dream 196.

Keep the Dream 196 focused on changing the lives of teenagers to the right path using the scout laws, motto, and promise which also enshrine in them words from the bible. They enforced behavioural changes but many of us did not take them seriously because we thought we were man enough to be playing games. In June 2009 Sizanani selected a few learners to attend a scout camp at Westfalia, I was one of them with my two friends.

When we arrived at the camp we continually thought it was just for fun and did not take it seriously, We continued to play at the camp and they noticed us, they separated us and created competitions.

Read: TZANEEN: Louis keeps the dream

Those competitions ensured that we brought our A-game, we all wanted to win and it came to my attention that it was not about competitions but to ensure that we conform to the group, we respect other members, learn to share and to work with others.

The scouts opened My eyes, I saw future in the scouts, I learnt to live by the laws, motto and scout promise. It impacted my life in a positive way, they enforced that scouts are not failures, instead they smile and whistle under all difficulties and persist to achieve. I took advantage of Keep the Dream 196’s vision and mission and it worked for me, I started advancing in my English, communication, writing and academics.

From that point I never failed a grade with guidance provided to me by Keep the Dream 196. Keep the Dream 196 monitored my progress, they realised that education provided at schools was never enough for one’s life, it needs supplements from other skill,s thus,they offered me some skills like teaching or training.

Keep the Dream 196 restored my life, they continually empowered me in a way that I said to myself that failure will never be an option.

Through the leadership position I occupied, my focus shifted from the fake ideologies I had about school and scouts. I decided to be a teacher or a social worker, which had to do with changing teenagers minds. In January 2016, after receiving my matric results ,I attempted to enroll with Univen, University of Limpopo and Tshwane University Technology but I could not.

Currently I’m enrolling with Wits University as a second year social work student, because of Keep the Dream 196. I am well motivated and I still live by the scout laws, promise and motto, distance may take away my duties as a scout but I will always be part of Keep the Dream 196’s program.