“Show me your friends, I will tell you your future”

Keeping bad company and losing his mother as a young boy nearly crippled Sphamandla Salulange’s childhood dream of becoming a chartered accountant.

However, with the support from Peter Hodsdon and Zamo Mngadi of the Nkobongo Resource Centre, the 20 year old is now in his first year at the University of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Salulange’s life turned sour when his mother became ill and he had to step up and provide for his mother and brother, while still in primary school.

He used to collect metal and sell it at scrapyards, worked at a car wash and delivered newspapers, costing him days of school work.

“We were still staying in Umlazi and it was difficult because sometimes I would not go to school because I was too busy trying to earn an income. Fortunately when I eventually got to school, I used to catch up easily with my school work and pass with good marks.”

His mother died when he was in grade nine and he had to move to his relatives in Bhamshela. He did not adapt to the rural lifestyle and his grades plummeted.

“My grandmother fetched me so that I could stay with her in Nkobongo and sent me to Groutville High School. It was here in Nkobongo that my future nearly went down the drain. I got bad friends and we started smoking, drinking and chasing after girls. It was bad,” said Salulange.

He was expelled twice from school because of bad behaviour and that is when Peter Hodsdon of the Nkobongo Resource Centre community project, known affectionately as Mkhulu, had a talk ‘man to man’.

“He asked me to choose the life I want to live. He said it’s either life or death. I chose life and he went to the school and spoke with my teachers. I was given one last chance. I grabbed it with both hands and promised myself that I would never look back.”

When his mother was sick she asked him to look after his little brother when she died, and still those words echo in his mind and it motivates him to study harder.

After obtaining five distinctions in his matric year, he is now studying for a Bachelor of Commerce degree on a Siza Water bursary he obtained with the help of his councillor Ali Ngidi, and is receiving funding from The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund.

Salulange hopes to one day become a chartered accountant, so that he can provide for his little brother and inspire others to not allow their circumstances to dictate the outcome of their life’s story.

Nkobongo Resource Centre is currently raising funds to get Sphamandla a laptop. If you would like to help, contact Sboniso at 074 252 1990.

Be the first to receive breaking news straight to your device with our newly launched push notifications! Simply visit our website and click on the icon shown above.

Do you want to receive news alerts from The North Coast Courier via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram