I’m Ayanda Makomfana a 25year old dedicated young man from Gugulethu. I was born in the Eastern Cape in a small town called Mount Fletcher in Thabatlala. I moved to the Cape in 1990 at the age of one year with my mom. I then started school at the age of six at Stormont Madubela Primary School, which was the only primary at the location. It was sort of an NGO that was started by students who were studying Teaching at the time and teachers who had already graduated.

I liked studying there. I met people who were exactly as I was; coming from a disadvantaged background or family.

I am the eldest of two, from my Dad, and the second born of four from my Mom. It was never a walk in the park growing up. I lost both my parents at a very young age; my Dad was no more and my Mom shacked up with her boyfriend and left us to find our own way of living. So we had to just go to my uncle, who was already staying with my big brother, and to tell you the whole truth, he’s the only person I can call my Dad with a proud smile on my face.

I stayed with him up until I finished my high school – which was the hardest part on my journey – because I had to help my uncle, who was the taxi driver, on weekends to get myself money for clothes and stationery and some of the things that I needed for school. We were nine, so my uncle could only afford to feed us so he gave us weekends and holiday jobs to support our personal needs.

But it was not all the weekends that I worked because we swapped. Seeing that I was suffering I built myself a dream of getting to grade 12 and I was the first in the family to pass. Writing was the only thing that kept me going and I will be writing till I die coz it helps me forget the pain I’m living.

Now that I have a son I want to be a better dad and provide for him. He’s now the only reason why I’m still breathing.