Resident shares impact of early fatherhood on his youth
Jim Ramoroko became a father at the age of 19 and says it came with a lot of pressure and sacrifice but that his daughter is his best gift.
POLOKWANE – “Becoming a father at 19 years old came with a lot of pressure.”
This are the sentiments of Jim Ramoroko, who was a teenage father. He shared that although meeting his daughter for the first time was the best feeling he has ever experienced, that moment came with a lot of pressure. “My daughter was born at 22:10 on December 31 2007. It was the best gift ever and I will forever cherish the day,” he said.
Although his daughter gave him a new purpose in life, she also made him re-evaluate his life and make difficult sacrifices. He made the decision to drop out of school to look for work to provide for his child.
“It wasn’t an easy decision but I had to do it because I didn’t have anyone to help me out with the baby as I myself had lost both of my parents,” he said.
He added that sometimes he does feel like he missed out on his youth, particularly in education because he has the belief that he would have accomplished a lot more in his life had he completed his schooling.
“My main focus at the time was to get different jobs to help me save money so that I could buy baby stuff,” he added.
Today his daughter is 15 years old and they have a very close bond. “We are the best of friends and I can’t imagine my life without her. She is the best thing to happen to me,” he said.
His message to young people is to make wise decisions because being a parent is difficult.
