I come from Empangeni in KZN. I was born in 1988 and I started my primary education at Nkandla, the same place where the current South African President is from. My life took a turn for the worse when I was in grade six and was attending a certain convent school. It was at this time that I started experimenting with alcohol and cigarettes and I was almost expelled. However, in grade eight, when I started my high school education, I made a decision to repent and change from my former ways. The next five years were the best five years of my life! We were really on fire for God and I was doing well academically. I played first team rugby and was selected as the second ever black head prefect in the history of my school. When I completed high school I moved to Johannesburg to start my tertiary education, and that was the worst decision that I ever made!
When I arrived at the University of Johannesburg things went quite well at first, but made a turn for the worse. I started drinking alcohol excessively, I began smoking dagga and soon I progressed to using other drugs as well. At home they knew nothing of what was happening in my life as I would send home forged results that appeared to come from the university. I stayed at university for four years but in fact only had one year to my credit! It all came to an end when I was expelled for failing three years in a row, and it was when I returned home that that I had to tell my father everything that had been happening whilst I was away.
After returning home I looked for a job and was hired as a financial advisor at an insurance company. However, my drug habit was still very much alive and it was getting worse! I started selling most of my assets including my car and even the appliances from parent’s home. My father opened a case against me with the police as a result of my theft and I was taken into custody and remained in the holding cells at the police station for three weeks. After that the charges against me were dropped. My parents decided to take me to a rehabilitation centre. In fact, I went to three ‘rehabs,’ 6 psychologists, 3 psychiatrists and sat through many family interventions, but none of these could help me.
It was only after all of this that I found out about the Concerned Community and was enrolled in their programme. I arrived for the first time in 2013 and then returned again in December 2014, which is when God began to revive me in an extraordinary way! I started to confess my sins and took time to pray by myself in the mornings. God had directed me to the Concerned Community. Having made my life right and having been with the Concerned Community for over one year, I am now working as a librarian at a teachers training college. I am hoping to have the opportunity to commence studying teaching at this same college in 2016. The evil one has not had the last say in my life. I am truly thankful for the new life He has given me.
