My name is Litha Milton Sam-Sam and I’m 19 years old. I grew up in the dangerous streets of Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Langa. When I was about 9 years old I noticed an artistic skill, and I used to make songs in my grade 1 classroom and had the whole class jamming to my quick made up songs.
Yes I must say that when it came to academics I was good too, because I used to be in the top 10 of great students in my primary school, up until my high school and in grade 6 my school honoured me with arts and culture certificate.
I became motivated by what I saw around me more than what I watched on tv, and that made me to believe in reality and my dreams.
Yes I don’t forget the fact that I was troublesome too, giving my teachers hard times was a song to my whole family because my grandmother became friends with my primary school teachers as well as my high school teachers too.
All of that happened because I was transgress and I didn’t want to be part of the system, so I opposed each and every rule before me unless you justyfies it.
Yes my name Litha means light, if I go into details it means change, uniqueness, hope and miracles.
Even though I got the my middle name from my great grand father who was a powerful respected sangoma. In our entire village in Eastern Cape, Ngqamakhwe.
In a small beautiful village known as Nomaheya, mission area, this is where my father grew up and started his primary school, dropped out and ran from his home because of a bad treatment. But lets save that story for another time.
Now im an artist I wear what I want and people call me a fashionista, yes I’m also good with poetry but I don’t like it, what I like the most is acting and teaching. I want to be a professional teacher and teach young kids. Why? Its because they are the future and in my culture they say “umthi ugotywa usemtsha” it means a tree bends easly when its still fresh, and yes that’s true young kids are easy to mentor.
Being mentored by my mother was not easy because she is a very strong women and she kinda likes pain, and when i ask her “why”? She tells me that “it makes you stronger”.
At the age of 13 years I already had business ideas because I remember well that at primary school I was selling a hand made egg sandwhich to my school mates and I made a lot of money, cause I ended up buying electricity for my household when hard times striked.
Now all that motivated I put into practise and now I’m doing my internship in teaching and guess what? Im teaching grade 2 and grade 3 kids, and yes I’m running a kinda artist growing platform well known as Etyotyombeni Jams where by introduce young upcoming artist to gigs, network and brand building and I’m part of a fashion brand called Ubuntu Trends.
My name is Litha Milton Sam-Sam and I’m my great grandfather, because I’m a healer through my craft and my style.
Thank you.
