AT the age of 17, Zandisile Shezi found himself living a life on the streets, fleeing from gangs, drug dealers and other criminal elements.
Not only had he dropped out of school, but he was also hooked on the highly addictive drug commonly known as ‘sugars’. To feed his habit and occasionally his stomach, the adolescent would either turn to begging or car guarding.
On successful days he would have earned enough to pay for boarding at a shelter and other times he was forced to sleep on the street. If he had enough money he might buy a loaf of bread for R5 or alternatively visit a soup kitchen for a warm meal.
But this had not always been the reality for Shezi. He once lived a normal life with his parents and siblings. His world began to spiral out of control after he witnessed his mother’s violent death. He was only 13 years old at the time.
“My mother’s death greatly affected me. I was sad, angry and scared so I turned to drugs. It became easier to support my addiction on the streets so I simply stayed there. And I also did not want to be a worry or a burden to my family,” he said.
Despite the desperate pleas from his father urging him to come home, Shezi remained on the streets until his health began to deteriorate. When he began experiencing epileptic fits he said he realised that his addiction to sugars, which consists of rat poison, baby powder and heroin, was going to lead to his death.
This led him to seek out assistance from I Care.
The NPO, based in Somerset Park, placed the 20-year-old into a three-month rehabilitation programme and then enrolled him to complete his schooling career.
One year later and the inspiring young man has remained sober and is living with his brother in Verulam. He has even been accepted into a panel beating internship at Auto Magic, an auto body repair shop in Briardene.
“He is a real inspiration. Not only does he take initiative, but he also uses his street smarts. He knows where he wants to go and how hard it has been for him to get here,” said the owner of the shop, Robby Cutelli.
I Care general manager, Anne Slatter, said they were extremely proud of Shezis’s progress.
Read up on some other inspirational people:
Music therapy uplifts whoonga addicts
Tackling poverty through recycling
