Story of Hope: The trick is to keep fighting

Tamuka Nkosi (15), a Grade 10 Benoni High School learner, had a rough start in life but fought all the way through, keeping his dreams alive with the help of his best friend and adoptive mother.

“My biological mom died in 2018 from TB,’’ he explained.

“My brother and I then had to live with my dad, but a year later he was arrested.

“My brother, who was 19 at the time, couldn’t take care of me because he was still studying. I opened up to my best friend Alex and his mom, telling them what was going on, and his mom opened her home to me, taking me in as one of her own.”

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Kim Marx, mother to Alex Chetty, best friend of Tamuka, said:

“In March 2019 I got a call from Tamuka to say his dad had been arrested and he hadn’t eaten in two days.

“I immediately told him to pack his stuff, I was coming to get him.”

With the help of his adoptive family, his school and Bonaero Soccer Club, Tamuka started to thrive, enjoy his hobby and dream of being a soccer player and received his first-ever pair of slippers.

“We have been so extremely blessed,” said Kim.

“I am very protective over all my boys. Tamuka is my son and always will be.”

Tamuka is grateful for everything his new family have done for him.

“I would like to thank Alex’s family because they took care of me even when they couldn’t. I will forever be grateful,” he said.

“Alex, if you weren’t my friend, I don’t know where I would be to today.”

This Rynfield resident now plays for Benoni Northerns and enjoys every moment of it.

“I started playing for them this year and I enjoy it,” he explained.

“We are like a family at Northerns and I like every one of them.”

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When he isn’t kicking it up at Northerns, Tamuka enjoys supporting Arsenal and making sure to catch every one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s games.

“I support Arsenal because once I started watching them I couldn’t take my eyes off them,” he said.

“I would love to play for them one day. This is a dream I will forever have. The same goes for the French international team, whom I also support.

“Ronaldo is my role model because he had to work hard to achieve his dream, and it inspires me just to push harder and harder.

“I love soccer because I love the drama, the fans, the goals, the players, everything about it. I think my destiny is meant to be a soccer player.”

To all the other young, aspiring soccer players out there and young individuals who may be struggling or having a hard time, Tamuka has a message for you.

“You have to take everything one day at a time and be strong. You have to be positive all the time in knowing you will get out of that situation. Most of all, respect your parents because you never know when they will be gone and how much you will regret it,” he concluded.