A now successful person, once stemming from an ordinary part of South Africa reflects back on their journey. I was only a young girl when I met this beautiful girl Success Mashego. I grow up in a church going family where every Saturday we go to choir practice and Sunday church and that’s how I met Success. I knew her by her second name Libi, thats what everyone was calling her at church as I was called Bonisiwe. Success was born on the 15th of May 1995 at Sabie Hospital. She is 5 years older than me and that’s what made it harder for me to get closer to her in ku childhood days.

Even though she was friendly it was still hard for me. She is raised by a single parent her mother and had no support from any of her family members even her father too. She grow up in Sabie and started her Primary years at Lindani primary school and her secondary years at Memezile High. In 2011 she was 16 years and was diagnosed with tuberculosis and couldn’t attend school for a period of 6 months and cause of that she had to repeat her grade 10.

In 2012 she went back to school to continue where she left off. In 2014 she got pregnant with her first child. She was only 18 years in grade 11. It wasn’t an easy journey cause everyone made a topic of her. Even though I was young I remember some details. At church people will gossip about her failing her mother. She become a laughing stock to the community of Sabie. Some brought rumours of her not knowing who is the father of her child.

People thought this was the end of her and her family since she was the first child to her mother. Her mother forgived her and took in her child and loved her as her own flash and blood. Her mother assisted her in everything and stood by her side. She even encouraged her to go back to school and complete her studies. She went back to school again and passed her grade 11 well.

She did her matric and obtained a bachelorent. Wow that was a great progress. After everything she managed to aim high. She got pregnant again and gave birth on the 18th of February 2015. It was her second child and her mother was truly disappointed this time cause at that time they were busy applying to universities. Almost all of her family members did not talk to her. Again she was the talk of the town. At that time people really did confirm that it was the end of Success Mashego. Not knowing that when it is almost sunrise it gets more darker. Her application was accepted at the University of Mpumalanga but due to the fact that she had a new born baby she couldn’t go to school.

She took a gap year so that she could take care of her children. Her life was a mess and people didn’t make it any easy for her. Some where judging her, insulting her, swearing at her and some would approach her say hurtful words like” we know that next year you’ll bear another child as it is your hobby “. Every day she would receive bad news and some would tell her mother not to buy her diapers cause she will never learn anything. Besides her mother she also got support from 2 of her neighbours who got her back everytime she had a bad day. One neighbour was her mother’s age (unfortunately she went missing) and the other was her grandmother’s age. They would tell her that children are a blessing from God and they also had children at a younger age.

They would say atleast she had her first child at the age of 18 while they had theirs at 16. Said part the judgements weren’t in the community only but also at church. Success has a great soprano voice and she always made sure she used her talent at church, whether it’s choir practice or Sunday hyms. I love her strong voice it always has that power to push notes. I know I grow up in the choir but honest truth she taught me how to sing soprano, she taught me a lot of songs from accent to now. Every time she’ll learn a new song she will call me and ask me about it and if I don’t know it she’ll teach me. And I’ll not forget how she faught in teaching me how to be a vocalist and I might be perfect but at least now I know what I’m doing.

During choir trips we will always be together, eat together and do some shopping some when we get to a place where it had shops.. I saw a sister in her that’s why I’m 2018 I started calling her sis cause she treated me like her own flesh and blood. I would call her incase of emergencies. In 2016 she went to Waterval Boven and studied Human Resources Management at Nkangala TVET College so that she can have a educational certificate rather than birth certificates. She didn’t want to do the course but because it was either she return back home and take another gap year.

She studied and passed her N6 and obtained her Human Resources Management N6 certificate in 2018. One day as she was busy seeking for a place to do her integrated learning program so she can apply for a diploma. She got a lift from her father and dropped her at Bushbuckridge (Mapulaneng) hospital to ask if she can be assisted regarding practicals, unfortunately for her she was told that the Human Resources department officer was on leave. That time she didn’t have enough money to go back home so she had to hike back to Sabie and continued submitting the necessary documents. As she was hiking she got a lift from a van that was going to Graskop. She started telling the driver why she was at Bush and why she was hiking instead of taking a taxi. On their way to Graskop, the driver decided to take to Ramanas Saw mill so can ask if they can assist.

Fortunate for her as she was consulting with the manager he told her that their HR is serving his last 3 months and he will communicate with the superiors regarding this matter. After a week by the grace of the almighty Lord she was called for interview and started work on the 5th of July 2019. Now she is a Mill HR wage Clerk at Ramanas under Timrite. ” I thank God, my mother and my 2 neighbours for the support and encouragement. Message to all the teen moms : Never look down on yourselves we are in this world to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes.” Says Success.

I haven’t seen her since lockdown and I had to move to Limpopo to further my studies but I heard she is busy making her life better. Recently heard she bought a new car and I congratulate her. She deserves this. Her life wasn’t easy and finally it has sun raised for her. She defeated all and didn’t only prove her name is Success but also showed she is after Success.

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