Participant blog: MY STORY BY THANDISO

“My name is Thandiso and I was born in Langa Township in Cape Town. My mother was a single parent who had seven children. I am the sixth child. My mother passed away when I was 10 years old and left us with our grandmother who passed away two months later.

I never knew my father but I hear that he stays in the Eastern Cape and I never bothered to enquire about him since he never bothered himself about us.

I come from a family of seventeen people in a two roomed house and is extended by hokies. My elder brother is in jail for house breaking and my other sister is staying with foster parents in Pretoria.

I was in grade eight when I stopped attending school and I was assisted by a church NGO that assist kids with no parents. Because of peer pressure I started to smoke and dropped out of school.

I joined project playground in 2012 in BMX class and since I joined I feel different, it is as if I met a family I never had. The coach of the BMX is a very caring person he notices every little thing that we do. To me it is very important because I never had somebody caring so much about me. My mother used to drink too much or go around looking for piece jobs like washing and ironing to entertain herself. I so want to go back to school and change my life because since I joined the project I have learnt about discipline.

With the help of sis Hazel I have managed to find school and wishing to go to school and not disappoint her especially myself.”