The story of William Kholo Sekgobela who is well known as Lalas Kholo was born in the year 1992 December 31.
He started primary school at the age of 9 as his parents could not afford any school around Seshego where he was staying with his unemployed parents and his young brother Patrick Sekgobela.
At the age of 8 Lalas got adopted by his mother’s younger sister who was a domestic worker at Oog ’n Droog farm outside Polokwane. He stayed there with his aunt, his mentally unstable uncle, who was a younger brother to his mother and his mother’s aunt and they took him to Sehlale Primary school. He skipped Grade R due to his age.
Lalas experienced abuse when he was still with his parents but no pain surpasses the pain he felt when he heard that his mother died. By then he was going to do Grade 3 just before school reopened. His brother was also adopted by his aunt, luckily he was taken to school at the right age.
He mourned and moved on with life. He would only think about his mother when his mother’s favourite songs were playing on the radio. Songs like “I believe I can fly” by R. Kelly and “O tla ntseba naa ngwanaka” meaning “Will you notice me my child”. The song “Will you notice me my child, when you see me in heaven” is one of the most emotional vernacular songs from the group called Maria Le Maria.
Lalas completed his primary education in the year 2007 and his aunt who was his foster parent died when he was going to start his high school in the year 2008.The very same year Lalas started writing songs and poems as a way of expressing his feelings and to send a message of courage to the people in his conditions. But Lalas himself lost that courage.
Life became difficult for him since then. His academic results kept on dropping each and every year. He even repeated his Grade 11 twice as the thought of dropping out kept on approaching his mind.
Life was a burden to him. He would sometimes have a shortage of cosmetics, sleep with an empty stomach. That year he even attempted committing suicide but he received free counselling from church by one of the doctorate psychology graduates and from one of his high school teachers.
He worked hard and passed his Grade 12 with a diploma certificate.
He was offered an opportunity to volunteer as a radio presenter at one of community radio stations called Comrad FM in Limpopo in the year 2015 which was the year after his matric. The very same year he wrote short stories and poems and only managed to publish poems online.
Lalas moved to Gauteng Province in February 2016 to pursue his writing, poetry, music, radio presenting and dancing career.
He started volunteering at Diepsloot Afrika Tikkun as an assistant in Art and Culture facilitation, and also in auxiliary social work. He is also presenting Jazz at Diepsloot as a volunteer.
He recorded three hip-hop hit singles and he is marketing the first song titled “Saka Le Yona” which is Diepsloot’s favourite. It gets airplay from local radio stations in Limpopo and Gauteng and also played by most of taxi drivers in Diepsloot.
He is working on an anthology book of poetry with a primary school teacher from Basa Primary. He is still trying to find a sponsor or investors to release his first album and to help him in filming one of his written short stories. Despite his poor background Lalas believes that he has his own space reserved for him in the media industry. All he needs is that one call that will change his whole life.
He is not waiting and relaxing but waiting and acting.
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Tell us what you think: Do you think ow of someone who is going through the same struggles as Lalas? How can they get the word out there?