Glen was born with spina bifida, a condition that causes paralysis in the spine from the waist down and is usually apparent at birth. “We are human beings, just like able-bodied people, we want love, respect and to be embraced not pitied. “We also want to be given platforms to express ourselves, we have the potential, but we are hardly given a chance, because of the misconception that we have nothing to contribute,” he says.

The 29-year-old man from Lulekani is a public relations graduate and is currently studying for a law degree at Unisa. He says his family, specifically his late mother, Mavis Mabunda, raised him to be confident and to never look down on himself because of his condition. He is also grateful that his mother enrolled him in a normal school because it enabled him to see himself as a physically abled person too.

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Mobility was however a challenge at school as he had to ask people for help to move around at times. He eventually wrote a letter to the principal to have ramps installed so that he could move around with ease. Although he could not participate in extramural activities, he shined at public speaking, poetry, board games, and drama. In 2020 he initiated an organisation to fight gender-based violence, the Black Girl Magic Campaign.

He is also the chairperson of the youth structure at his church and also the chairperson of the Lulekani Disability Forum. Recently during a GBV march organised by the Department of Health and Ba-phalaborwa Municipality, he gave a heartfelt speech as a civil citizen. His message to people living with a disability is to stop underestimating themselves and start to embrace their uniqueness.