On a Saturday evening in a labour ward at the Groote Schuur hospital a young girl had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl whom she named Lilitha. Lilitha means ‘a beam of light’ so this teen mother saw this baby as a light – a glimpse of hope in her dark-filled life. My mom (the young girl) had just buried her parents a few weeks before she gave birth to me. Many times she thought of committing suicide but I gave her a reason not to. Falling pregnant at an early age and losing both parents at the same time is not an easy thing, especially for a teenager. But my mom survived it all because of me. I am Lilitha ‘Hope’ Giqo. I gave my mom a purpose in life.

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This piece of writing was created as part of the WritingMe Writing Clubs with Sophumelela High School, Western Cape. Find out more here.