Success Story: “I AM ME”
“I AM ME”
I live with Grandparents and cousins. My mother lives in Clermont and my father passed away in 2004; he was shot at home when we were being robbed. I was very sad when my father passed away because he was the only one providing for all of us. My mother is not working; my grandfather is now taking care of me.
I used to be under pressure when my uncle came with his children to live with us because I was blamed for everything that went wrong in the house, I felt like I am the” ugly duckling” in the family. That had major impact on my life and at school because I did not enjoy life like other young people anymore; I wished to kill myself because I was sensitive even when my friends were joking with me.
Since the beginning of this year when your programmed came to my school I learnt that “I AM ME”. When people say bad things I no longer compare myself with others because I now believe that there is no other one like me.
Early this year I sat at home reading my grandmother’s bible and my notebook, which contains useful information. All this inspired me to join the local youth centre called Siyanqoba which means ‘we will conquer’. Being more active has taught me that ‘the life going forward is much quicker than the life going backwards’.
Being part of the programme in my school has helped me deal with major challenges and problems in life. My aunt was HIV positive and eventually passed away of AIDS and my mother was taking care of her for a long time. Now my mother is HIV positive and this is something I don’t like talking about because I always get emotional. My mother talks to me about her status and how I must make sure I don’t get infected. I know that I have a short time with my mother. I wish she can also be part of the things and workshops that I am learning because they teach me about how to take life seriously and still have fun along the way and my mother hardly has fun. I really love the VALUES workshop because it re-assures me that wherever I go I should keep and believe that “I AM A SOUTH AFRICAN “therefore I should never forget who I am, what I stand for and where I come from. My values keep me grounded, but most importantly they keep me away from HIV/AIDS.
Anonymous, 3 November 2008