By Nontando F. | 2009 Christel House South Africa graduate
Nontando is a 2009 Christel House South Africa graduate. Over the next few weeks, we are excited to share with you a few updates written by Nontando. She will share with you her experience growing up in the shanty towns of Cape Town, South Africa, her journey at Christel House and about where her education led her. She has a truly inspiring story and we know you will love hearing from her.
My name is Nontando. I am currently working at the Chevron refinery in Cape Town, South Africa as an Environmental Specialist. I am married to a wonderful husband whom I met at University.
My life was not always filled with roses and daisies. Before Christel House, I was brought up in Langa, one of the oldest informal settlements in Cape Town. The settlements are where black Africans were relocated during Apartheid. The section of the township where we lived was well known for its vast clusters of shacks—it was home to the poorest people.
At that time, I lived with my late mother, father and brother in a one-room shack, which was made of wood and other recycled materials. This was our everything—our bedroom, our dining room, our kitchen. The bathroom and water supply was outside—shared by other families within the community. Proper sanitation and privacy still remain the ultimate desire for many families who live there. It is common for communal bathrooms to be shared by more than 10 families.
Growing up in Langa was a bittersweet experience. Sweet, in terms of growing up with neighbors who cared and loved you like their own. We never went hungry for we all supported each other. Giving and sharing was a great principle I took out of those relationships.
Bitter, in terms of being exposed to gang fights and crime from a very young age. My family was not immune. My mother was robbed, and my father stabbed early in the morning on their way to work. Illness was always a threat. When someone in the settlement came down with tuberculosis, we knew that the majority of others would be affected too, due to the clustered living conditions. My entire family came down with tuberculosis at different times, and it eventually took my mother’s life.
Fire was also a persistent fear. Not only could you lose your only belongings, but in such cramped living conditions the flames spread quickly and people died. Constant worry was a norm during paydays as candles or cooking fires would be lit by people who passed out from drinking or fell asleep.
During that time, I did poorly in my academics as studying for exams was always stressful; evenings were never quiet. Many people who live in the settlements abuse drugs and alcohol and get involved in street fights.
Growing up in our area, there was no one who attended University. One’s dream as a little girl would be to finish Grade 12 and then find work.
Thank you for your support of Christel House South Africa students. Check your inbox soon for Part 2 of Nontando’s story.
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