My name is Nokubonga Linda Nonkqayi. I was born in 1989 on the 3rd of April. I was born in Willowvalle at Mboya, raised in the Western Cape. In 1994 my mother took us with her to come and find a job to provide for my brother and me. We stayed in Simon’s town for a few years and went to stay in a small location called Masiphumlele. That’s where I did my primary classes and my high school. I was raised by my mother who is a single parent and a domestic worker. It wasn’t easy all those years but she made sure that we never went to bed on an empty stomach.
Years went by my mom couldn’t provide a proper house for us because of her job and because she was the only one to put food on the table, so we had to move from another shack to another until we ended up landing in Capricorn (Vrygrond) in 2005, we stayed in another informal settlement but at least here we don’t pay rent. That’s when I decided to stop schooling. I dropped out and went to look for a job to provide for my mom and me, because that time my Brother was staying at his own already in Masiphumlele.
I got my first job as cashier, yes money wasn’t enough but at least it made a difference. I worked there for 2 years and I could not go back to school because I was used now on having my own money. I then met a guy when I was 22 of age then got pregnant with my first born, so we got married a year later had my second child. Things went so quick because we didn’t plan the second born.
After 6 of marriage things started to change. My husband left me for another woman.
It wasn’t easy for me. I worked as a domestic worker to provide for my children, and my first born was in and out of hospital because she is Asthmatic. I ended up losing my job because I did not have time. Since I wasn’t working I then decided to go and stay with my Mom.
I’m now staying with my Mom and my 2 kids. I have thought of going back to school but the major problem is “how”?. Because I now have children to feed, groom, take them to school and take them to doctors when they are sick. Life Is not easy but I’m trying everything.
