Lessons from Being born in Nkandla



1)      It’s the simple things that give life a meaning 

The scent of rain as it falls on dry sand. A star on the ground; the reflection of the sun on the car as it approaches from hill miles always.
Faded images of children as they run behind a moving car, their small bodies disappear in the dust. The laughter that follows. Brushing my teeth outside using the enamel cup for water as I watch goats, chickens and donkeys wonder about. Simple, easy, carefree and most importantly happy… that’s the memory which never escape my mind about growing up in Nkandla.

2)      Do the right thing... people may not notice. Thats OK,

“Make sure your shoes are polished and shiny” That’d be my mom’s instruction every morning. “I don’t really understand this woman”, thinking to myself. Who shines their shoes only to walk about 5km in the dust? “But mom, they going to get dirty anyway” I disapprove. “Well at least you’ll know you polished them” she’d say.



3)      Friends colour our lives 

The journey to school was so much fun. I would keep an eye to check if my friend was on her way up to, she was always on time, I never needed to check the clock. Talking about last night’s homework, gossip about who fought with who; who failed the test; who lost stole what; who got a proper hiding; This journey always seemed so short. We’d start running as we here the bell ring. Hoping that the teacher wouldn’t be waiting for us gate with a stick. I really don’t understand why we would be late sometimes because we always left home on time. Well I guess it has something to do with games we would play on our way to school, we would completely lose track of time.

4)      It doesn’t matter where you begin, what matters is -where you headed... 

My school though…. Made of mud and stone, the corrugated iron covering some classrooms have been blown by wind. No gate nor door in some classrooms, which made it turn into a goat’s kraal after school, especially on rainy days. The smell of goats’ urine would be so strong it could blow your brains out.  Guess whom had to clean? Well you guessed it me! Well not by myself; basically all the students before the lessons could begin. Fortunately not every day, just on rainy days. Even though I didn’t like the results from rainy days, there was the time where there were certainly my favourite, especial’ if it starts raining during school hours. Well we had few options during rainy days and the best was to send us home. We couldn’t just sit there and be baptized by the rain. Well only those classes which didn’t have a roof. On bad days the teachers will ask us to join other classes which still have their roof intact. Well that sucked. We just wanted to go home. For what? I don’t know, because we didn’t have TVs and PlayStations waiting for us. We were still having fun

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