Women – Page 2 – Gingersnaps

The “Unprotected” – Part 2

February 26, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com3 Comments

“Every child deserves a champion — An adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.” – Rita Pierson

In my earlier blog post, “The Unprotected”- Part 1, I introduced you to four of the children living in the Lukhanyiso Safe House with Mamma Ella. Now, I will tell you how the Safe House came to be, and introduce you to a few more of Ella’s precious children.

In isiXhosa, the word Lukhanyiso means “The Light”. Ella decided to call the Safe House Lukhanyiso to bring Light to the brokenhearted.

I met Ella in 2014 on my first trip to Knysna. Two of the things I love about her is her passion to help people and her passion to share Jesus. She is ALWAYS on the go looking for people in her community to help and share the Good News.

Ella Mapurisa (Mamma Ella) grew up in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. When she was 6-years old, her parents divorced and her mother found employment on a farm, moving Ella out to a very rural area. In order to get an education, Ella had to walk over 6 miles to school every day. She did this with no shoes for several years and vividly remembers getting her first pair of shoes at 12-years old!

Because her mother was an alcoholic, she was not always able to function at her job. Ella soon had to step in and cover for her mom. At just 9-years old, she was trying to go to school and complete her mother’s chores on the farm. She knew that if she didn’t, the two of them would be kicked off of the farm and left homeless. This was a lot for such a young girl to carry.

With no guidance and no support, she dropped out of school at the age of 16. It had become too much. Too far to walk. Too much work to be done on the farm. And no money to buy her books.

In addition to the pressure, her living/work conditions became volatile. It was not safe for a Xhosa girl to be working on a farm… a farm owned by a white Afrikaans farmer… during the Apartheid era. Ella was abused. Unprotected. Trapped. No real education. No money. No connection to people off of the farm. No hope.

Until… At the age of 22, a missionary came to the farm and told her about the love of God. She did not believe there could be such a love. She had never experienced true love from anybody before. She desperately wanted to be loved. But she feared if she accepted this Jesus, she would only prove the missionary wrong. There could not be such a love. Could there? In the days to follow, she accepted Jesus Christ and her life was forever changed. The missionary took her home with seven other children and helped to cultivate a strong faith in her. He put her back in school at the age of 22-years and finally at 25-years old, Ella matriculated from High School. It was then that she moved to Knysna to start her new life. A life full of love, hope and faith.

There is a lot more to Ella’s story, and the impact of it all shaped who Ella is today. She knew that “when” not “if” she was able, she would pay it forward. She would help women and children living in fear and danger. And she would share her Jesus with everyone! Her strong Christian faith and her positive attitude kept her moving forward toward her goal.

Now, self-employed and co-owner of Emzini Tour Company (Township Tours) she knew it was time to help. Time to build a safe house, a refuge, where women and children can go when they are in danger. The tours are designed to show a positive side of the townships, and create an income to support the Safe House.

Ella in traditional Xhosa dress.

Ella

Currently, Ella has 14 children living in her home and has agreed to financially support 12 others. We met 4 of these children in an earlier blog. Today I would like to introduce you to a couple more…

Siblings: Imange and Takunda

Imange is now 10 years old, but came to live with Ella when she was just 5. She is a very gentle and sweet young lady. At the age of 5 years, Imange and her 2-year old brother Takunda were left at home alone when their parents decided to just walk away. Walk away from their two young children! We are not sure how long they were alone, but when the children were found, Imange was actually cooking, feeding and caring for her younger brother. Image was 5-years old! Even so young, Imange showed such great love for her little brother, and still does today.

Imange

Takunda, a soft-hearted little chatter box, is 7-years old. He really never knew his parents since he was only two when they walked out. His birth name is Lithala, but his grandmother was calling him Madala (which means “old man”). Ella’s husband said, “We can’t have a child being called Madala. I am going to call him Takunda” (Takunda is a Shona word meaning Victory!).

Takunda today.

A younger Takunda.

These two siblings are no longer living in the Safe House. Unfortunately their grandmother insists they live with her so that she can receive government money.

The shack that Imange and Takunda live in with their grandmother.

Knowing that the children would not be cared for properly, Ella continues to pay for all of their schooling, clothes, transport to school, after care, food and other needs that arise. Although they are not under her roof, they are still part of Ella’s family!

Meet Abigail –

Abigail, a complicated 14-year old, comes from a very rough background full of drugs, alcohol and uneducated family members . She is the only person in her family to ever attend school; and that was not on a consistent basis. There was no food and no supervision in her household. As a very young girl, she found her way to Ella’s looking for food. She continued to visit for food and started to trust Ella. Soon Ella learned that at 6-years old Abigail was sexually molested. It was then that Ella moved Abigail in with her.

The trauma this young girl survived is devastating. She has a lot to work through and is highly needy for attention. She is healing. Slowly. Abigail now attends a private school in town where she found she has a true talent in Hockey.

Please enjoy this Vlog of Ella on one of her township tours:

If you feel called to sponsor one of Ella’s children on a monthly basis, or make a one-time donation, please click on the link below and follow the steps. In the comments, type Lukhanyiso Safe House. All donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the care of Ella’s children. ~Tracy Cooper

https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000WKZkVEAX

The Unsettled Wanderer

February 14, 2018February 20, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.comLeave a comment

“Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves”

Celiwe Maggie is the oldest of three children and was born in the Mdantsane Township of East London, South Africa.

Maggie has been my friend for four years now and I still can’t pronounce her first name correctly. As innocent as the name Celiwe looks, it is not easy to say. IsiXhosa has three clicks in the language, each one made with a different part of the tongue. The letters C, X and Q all have a click when pronounced. So Maggie, like many others here, allows me to call her by her middle name.

Side Note … Under apartheid rule, parents used to give their children English names, so that white people wouldn’t struggle to pronounce their African names. It is believed by some that Xhosa’s were required to give their child an English name, but I don’t know if “required” is true. However, once the blacks got their freedom back, they went back to giving their children African names. These children are called the “Born Free Generation.”

Maggie’s dad was a pastor and moved the family around to various places in the Eastern Cape. Since many township churches couldn’t afford to pay the pastor much money, he moved from church to church hoping to support his family. This was unsettling for a young girl. She never had one place to call home.

When Maggie was in grade 7, her mom became very ill. Being the oldest, it was Maggie’s responsibility to care for her mom, siblings, the house and still attend school. She did her duties and tried to keep up with her school work. Her mom survived. Her school work suffered. Even though she was moved up to the next grade year after year, she did not have the basic foundation needed to pass her matric year (final year) of high school. She completed the year, but did not pass.

unnamed-15 — Maggie (left) when I met her back in 2014.

By the time Maggie was finishing high school, her father was living apart from the family. He moved to a rural area to pastor a church, while the rest of the family stayed in a township closer to town. Maggie took advantage of her father not being under the same roof. She began dating a young man and became pregnant at the young age of 18. Her parents were shocked and horrified.

One thing I have learned here — sex and birth control are NOT topics of conversation in Xhosa households. The subjects are completely avoided and ignored. It is so frustrating as an outsider to see this. I have had conversations with moms, telling them that they must talk to their children about these things! Not only is there the risk of pregnancy, but HIV infection rates are very high here. As many as 1:5 people are thought to be HIV+. Not only is oral birth control necessary, but condoms are a must!!

Ok… back to Maggie. After the baby was born, her parents did come to love her new born son. Soon after his birth, Maggie and the baby moved out to the rural area to stay with her dad. There, she was starting anew with her little baby boy.

As two years passed, Maggie began to get restless and decided she needed to go back to school to matriculate. She moved out of her dad’s home to be closer to a high school and left her son behind with her dad.

While living on her own, and now age 21, Maggie became pregnant again. She made it clear to me that both pregnancies were from boyfriends, consensual. This time she chose not to tell her parents. What would she say? Maybe the first time she didn’t know better. But this time she did. So it stayed a secret. For nine months Maggie kept her secret. She did not see her parents during this time, so a secret it remained. But as you probably guessed, unless she was giving the baby up for adoption, the secret was going to have to be revealed eventually!

As Maggie lay in the hospital laboring with her daughter, her mother happened to call her. “Why did you not meet with me today?” she asked. “Where are you?” “I am in the hospital,” Maggie responded. And with that, she had to come clean.

Her mother rushed to the hospital, panicked about how to tell Maggie’s dad. The news did not go well and he shunned her and his new granddaughter for 2-months.

When Maggie’s daughter was just 3-years old, Maggie’s dad passed away. This meant it was up to Maggie to make the money to support the family. She tells me that the only work she could find was in a warehouse in Capetown (an 11-hour drive away). So Maggie packed a few things, left her two children with her mom and moved to Capetown. There she stayed for 7 years working various jobs and only visiting with her children one to two times a year.

She thought things were going great when she and her boyfriend decided to start their own business making Gatsby sandwiches (a very “unhealthy” popular sandwich in Capetown). It was successful. They were making money. They bought a car! But then Maggie came to realize that she was doing all the work and her boyfriend was just spending the money. So she left.

She moved out to her own flat and decided to open her own business. Well, that did not go over well with her boyfriend. She was his livelihood! He tracked her down, physically beat her, and tried to stab her with a broken bottle. She escaped wth her life, but not her things. When she got away from him and ran off, he stayed behind and burned her flat to the ground. Everything she worked for was now gone.

Broken and scared, she moved back to East London to be with her mom and children. There she found a job in a supermarket. But once again became restless. East London was not where she wanted to be. Knowing that Maggie wasn’t happy, her friend/sister (yes, I meant to say that) invited her to move to Knysna. She liked the idea and moved there with her daughter, leaving her son with his grandmother. After just a year, Maggie’s mom became ill, so Maggie moved her daughter back to East London to care for her grandma and Maggie stayed in Knysna to work.

Maggie has always dreamed of opening a Gatsby Sandwich stand again. One like she had in Capetown. She put a decent business plan together and Kurt and I looked it over. It was good. It could work.

But that dream will not be realized in Knysna.

Restless… Maggie is about to be on the move again. She just sent me a message this morning saying she is going to move back to Capetown to start her life over.

I love Maggie. She is smart. She is sweet. She is my friend. However, I fear she will never be happy. Never truly be settled. Never root herself in one place.

To my friend Maggie, the unsettled wanderer … may you find joy and happiness one day soon. ~Tracy Cooper

unnamed-14 — I took Maggie to view Knysna from The Heads (Jan. 2018)

A Purposeful Gap Year

February 13, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.comLeave a comment

“It’s the steady, quiet, plodding ones who win in the lifelong race.” – Robert W. Service

This quote makes me think of my sweet friend, Victoria. I met her last year when she was looking for some tutoring lessons during her matric year (final year) of high school. She is a 19-year old young adult; sweet, unassuming and quiet. So much so, that although her birth name is Priscilla, when her school records got mixed up years ago and her teachers starting calling her Victoria, she NEVER felt the need to correct them. Now, she goes by Victoria.

Victoria was born in Nekkies, a part of the township in Knysna that is located right on the N2 (the highway that runs east and west from Capetown to Port Elizabeth. It is probably one of the most dangerous parts of the Knysna township. And here is why: 1. Because of its location on the N2, it is easily accessible to everybody and anybody (good or bad). It is one of only two ways in and out of the township. 2. Many of the bars/pubs are located in this area, so people gravitate to there and are often under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 3. Many of the “homes” are shacks instead of concrete block homes, making life a little more unstable.

For Victoria’s family, life went on as best it could. They were a Coloured family living in a mostly black Xhosa township. Across the N2, within site, was the all Coloured neighborhood (Hornlee). Because she was coloured, Victoria and her siblings would cross the N2 on foot every day to attend Hornlee Primary School. The native tongue for Coloureds is Afrikaans, while the native tongue for blacks is isiXhosa. It is easier to attend a school that speaks your native language. And at the time that Victoria was in primary school, there was not an Afrikaans school on her side of the N2.

This posed many dangers for a young girl… the greatest of these was crossing the N2. Cars and trucks are traveling at a speed of 45 – 50 mph on a 4-lane highway. There are no crosswalks, no traffic lights, no crossing guards, NO ADULT SUPERVISION. Just children standing, watching, waiting and judging when to cross. It is one of the scariest things I have witnessed here. Once safely on the other side, the children must walk up a path through the bush (the forest as we know it) to get to the school. If alone, you could most certainly be robbed or raped. Victoria mentioned that she only had to walk home by herself one time. She was so scared that she ran as fast as she could and never stopped until she got to the N2.

Born the 5th child in a family of 7 children, Victoria grew up in a household with two very loving, Christian parents. She is one of a few children/teens I know that have a complete family unit. Her father worked hard as a truck driver for years and her mother stayed home to care for their large family.

In Nekkies, the nine of them lived contently in a shack together, until tragedy struck their family. Not once. But twice. First, Victoria’s older brother (the oldest of the 7 children) was stabbed and killed outside of their home. Victoria was very young at the time, so doesn’t really know or remember the entire story. She has been told it was a senseless act of jealousy. The second tragedy had a greater impact on Victoria’s life. At the age of 11, her family’s shack burned to the ground in the middle of the night. It is believed that the man (a cousin to the family) in the shack directly behind them, was drunk and fell asleep with a candle burning. Both his shack and theirs burned completely. Everyone except Victoria’s little brother escaped. Ornan was 9-years old and died in the fire. Not only was her family grieving the loss of another child, they were now homeless.

The family split up to live with various relatives in the area, moving from place to place for about 4 years. All throughout this unsettled transition, Victoria continued in school. Finally, when she was about to begin grade 8 (High School), her family moved back together to a part of the township called Concordia. There, her father slowly built a concrete home which they are still living in today.

unnamed-13 — Victoria’s family home, built by her dad.

Victoria did well in school. She is only the second child in her family to graduate (matric) from high school. And the first to receive a “Bachelors”, the highest diploma you can receive in high school (you pass with either a Bachelors, a diploma, or a certificate). Victoria had set herself up to be able to realize her dreams of going to a University. Unfortunately she was “wait-listed” at The University of Western Cape in Cape Town, and ultimately did not get in for this school year.

Dreams crushed? No, just delayed. Gap Year. A year to learn and work before reapplying to University next year. Because of Victoria’s character, a teacher introduced her to a program called TEFL (Teaching English to Foreign Learners) that offers the course right here in Knysna. This program is a 30-day instructional class that prepares you to travel to another country to teach English for 1-year. (Her teacher’s daughter did this and taught English in China).

Victoria will continue to move forward.. slowly, steadily, quietly plodding through this lifelong race.

When I met with her today, we were talking about her plans for this gap year. She explained the TEFL program and told me that she has already enrolled and will begin on March 5. Knowing that neither of her parents are currently working, it caught me off guard that she has so confidently moved along with her plan. I started to question how she will finance this endeavor. She sat there quietly, unassuming telling me that she has managed to come up with the money for the deposit (with the help of her sister) but does not know how she will finance the rest. With faith it will work out. Slowly, steadily and quietly she will make it work.

Victoria is currently $350 U.S. shy of completing the payment for the course. Once she completes the course she will also need funding to travel to the country where she will be teaching. This seems like an impossible dream for a young township girl. It is. But Victoria is already beating the impossible. She stayed in school during a chaotic 4-years. She matriculated with a Bachelors. She was wait-listed by a college. And she figured out how to come up with a $150 U.S. deposit to take this course. This is an amazing opportunity for Victoria during this gap year. She has NEVER been outside of Knysna, much less South Africa. I have confidence that she will be successful in this endeavor.

If you would like to help Victoria, please click on the link below. Any amount will help. All donations are tax deductible and will go directly to help cover her expenses for this gap year experience. Type “Victoria” in the comment section. ~Tracy Cooper

https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000WKZkVEAX

The “Unprotected” – Part 1

February 12, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com2 Comments

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story” ~ Annonymous

When I think back to the birth of my first child, I remember feeling so much love, hope, excitement and fear all at the same time. My heart was so full. I knew I would do anything for this sweet little baby. Love him. Feed him. Hold him. Teach him. PROTECT him. Yes, I think for most mothers, one of our strongest motherly instincts is to protect our child. If anyone tries to harm our little one, our “mother-bear” instincts surface. We are ready to protect our child at all costs. And for me, I was blessed to experience this with each of my four children!

Unfortunately though, this is not the case for many children in the township. They do not have a mom to protect them. Not necessarily because she is absent in body, but because she is absent in mind. Many are orphaned due to the unhealthy addictions plaguing the moms. (I say the moms, because quite frankly the fathers are rarely in the picture by the time the baby is born). These moms lose their “mother-bear” instinct to protect their baby when they allow their addictions to take over their lives. They choose alcohol, drugs and men over their sweet, innocent babies. And because of this self destructive behavior, the defenseless babies are left orphaned on the street.

Well this is the very sad and short ending to the life story of so many children. But for a few others, it isn’t. There is a woman of great faith, who lives in the township, and is determined to help write a new chapter in the life stories of many orphaned children. A chapter full of love, hope and faith. A new beginning. A new life. A new family.

I have known Ella for 4 years, and like many, she has a long story of her own. Today, however, I want to introduce to you the children God has helped Ella rescue throughout the township. Some she has found on her own, others have been brought to her by relatives of the children or social services.

The stories are brief, mostly because the children were so young when they arrived at Ella’s. Also, because of their young ages, many were too young to understand their full story.

Meet my friend Tracy:

I have known Tracy for the past 4 years. She and I had an instant connection because of our name. Unlike many other children, I could actually pronounce her name! Tracy is 9-years old now, but came to Ella’s (Lukhanyiso Safe House) at the young age of 3-years. She was brought to Ella by Child Protection Services after she and her younger brother Toffee were removed from their home. Tracy, a 3-year old innocent little baby was being sexually abused in her own home. Her mother was an alcoholic and could not function in a way to protect her baby.

Because of the violence she endured in her young life, Tracy did not transition easily into Ella’s care. She suffered from post-traumatic syndrome, and did not trust anyone. She was constantly screaming and crying. With love, prayer, tender care, counseling and time to begin healing, Tracy has become a happy, confident young lady. She attends Knysna Primary School in town where she is in grade 4. She is learning English and speaks it quite well for a 9-year old. Her favorite extra curricular activities are playing net ball and running sprints. She has always had the role of “drama queen” in the house, but as she matures she is slowly passing that role on to a younger “sister”.

Tracy stills suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome, but all in all, she is doing well. Her life story now has a new, more hopeful chapter.

Tracy

Tracy running track in yellow and blue

Tracy’s little brother is named Toffee. His given name is Fikile and he is 7-years old. When he and his sister, Tracy were brought to Lukhanyiso Safe House, Toffee was only 2-months old. He was filthy dirty and starving to death. A very sad and inexcusable situation for a helpless 2-month old baby. Ella took Toffee straight to the clinic to have him checked. Afterwards, she gently stripped him of his rags, gave him a nice warm bath (probably the first one in his 2-months of life, dressed him in clean clothes, fed him a warm bottle and cuddled him. Since that day, he has the mom every baby deserves. A mom to protect him. To love him. To guide him.

Toffee (nicknamed that, because Ella says he is so sweet), attends Knysna Christian Mission School. He is in Grade 1 and starting to learn English. He is a happy little guy with a lot of personality.

Toffee

Toffee Today

The next sibling pair is Beauty and Stephen…

Beauty is a thriving 9-year old little girl now. However, when she arrived at Ella’s house, she was possibly the most neglected child Ella had ever seen. At the age of 1-1/2 years old, this sweet little baby girl was found by a police officer in the street in the middle of the night. A baby with no name and no parents. He picked her up and brought her straight to Lukhanyiso Safe House for the night, where Ella named her Beauty. Six months went by before anybody in her family even started to look for her. And it was determined that she would stay living with Ella and her new family. During Beauty’s first year in Ella’s care, she was a very shy and withdrawn child. She never made one sound… no crying, no screaming, no laughing, no talking. Nothing. Ella would bring Beauty into her bed at night and hold her, but when Ella woke up, Beauty was off of the bed, curled up on the floor. It was obvious that she had very little attachment or bonding to a mom. But as time went on, Beauty came out of her little shell. She is a sweet young girl and attends Knysna Christian Mission School with many of her siblings. She too is learning to speak English. The reason I mention this with the children is because their native tongue is Xhosa. South Africa has 11 official languages, but all children must learn English.

Beauty

Beauty Today

Beauty at 1-1/2

Stephen is 4-years old and is Beauty’s little brother. They both have the same mom, but I really don’t know if they have the same dad. Both of Stephen’s parents are alcoholics. He was removed from their home when he was just 4-months old and brought to live with Ella in the Safe House. His and Beauty’s mom usually shows up drunk to the Safe House about every two years or so to try to see the kids. Stephen is a happy young little guy. He is learning English in the Mama Mia Preschool.

Stephen

Ella and Stephen

These are the stories of 4 of Ella’s children. She currently has 14 children living in her home and 12 more children for which she has taken on the financial reponsibility. Unfortunately every one of her children have similar stories. I will try to introduce you to a few at a time throughout my blogs.

Ella lives modestly in the township and has hired a small staff to help care for and transport the children. Her expenses run around $200 U.S. per child per month. This is for food, clothes, school uniforms, school tuitions, staff fees, etc.

She and her business partner Penny have opened a township tour company called Emzini Tours to try to help cover the expenses of the Lukhanyiso Safe House. With the needs so great, they are always looking for sponsors.

https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000WKZkVEAX

Growing up in the Township

February 3, 2018March 27, 2019https://gingersnaps.wordpress.com1 Comment

“Freedom isn’t going through life unscathed, it’s choosing to not let what has hurt you bind you.” ~ Leo Christopher

As mentioned in my first blog, my hope this year is to share the stories of the people I have met in Knysna, South Africa. Circumstances and experiences have shaped all of us, helping to create OUR very own unique story. With the permission of my friends, I would like to share their stories with you. Some of the events are very sensitive, so I will often change the names to protect my friends.

Today’s story is being told to give you a glimpse into the types of things many young girls experience and endure living in a township in South Africa.

Meet Bulelwa…

Born in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in the city of Port Elizabeth (PE), Bulelwa grew up in a household that included her parents and two younger siblings. Her mother is Zulu and her father is Xhosa. And although her parents were never married, they lived as a family unit for several years. Her dad was a Police Officer and her mom had a job in a laundry mat. You may think that all sounds normal; but here in the townships it is an anomaly for both parents to be part of the household AND both to have jobs. Although they lived as a family unit, it was not always a happy one. Bulelwa’s dad is an alcoholic and often raged in anger against she and her mom. By the grace of God, her two younger siblings were spared his violence.

At age 15, Bulelwa was sent to live with and take care of her sick grandmother (Her dad’s mom) in another township. In the Xhosa culture, it is customary for parents to send their children to live with other relatives for various reasons. This can be due to such things as financial issues, hopes for a better chance in the area where a relative resides, taking care of a sick relative, and many other reasons. The point is this, many children in the townships do not live with their biological mom or dad. It can be typical for a child to be raised by a grandmother, aunt, cousin, etc. Bulelwa’s situation was no different.

So, as a 15-year old teenage girl, Bulelwa was expected to go to school and care for her grandmother. She was moved away from her mother, siblings and friends, attending a different school all together. This is a lot for a young teenager. Yet, she had no choice.

As she did what was expected of her, she came to find out that her uncle (her dad’s brother) had expectations of his own. He raped her. This lonely, scared young girl was raped by her uncle! This man, who should be helping to protect her while she is separated from her family and caring for HIS mother, raped her. Bulelwa was trapped and eventually became pregnant.

Just imagine a young teenage girl feeling helpless. Pregnant with a baby she does not want. She begged her mom to let her abort the baby or put it up for adoption, as she knew that every time she looked at the baby, she would be reminded of the horrific acts of her uncle. Her mother said “No” to both. She brought Bulelwa home and promised her that she would raise the baby as her own, and that Bulelwa could be her “older sister”. Once again, Bulelwa had no choice. She was only 16-years old and her mother would not sign the papers allowing her to give the baby up for adoption.

Well, things didn’t quite work out that way. Many times as a teenager, Bulelwa would want to hang out with her friends and her mother would tell her she couldn’t because she had a baby she must care for.

Due to the pregnancy, Bulelwa had to drop out and miss an entire year of school. A couple of years later she had to drop out and miss another year of school to care for her mom.

So… fast forward to 2014 when I met her. Bulelwa was 20-years old, in grade 11 and had a 3-year old daughter. Let that sink in… 20-years old, in grade 11 and had a 3-year old daughter. I know, this sounds like a hopeless situation. And at times I think it did to Bulelwa too. But God had greater plans for Bulelwa’s life. And although I have told you only SOME of the major roadblocks along her life journey, each one shaping her, creating her story; she has never let her circumstances define who she is.

Bulelwa is an OVERCOMER! She has not allowed the circumstances of her past to stop her from chasing her dreams. I am happy to tell you that she graduated High School in December 2015. She is now in her final year at South Cape College (a 3-year program), where she will graduate with a certificate of higher education in business. AND, THE BEST PART OF THE STORY… she loves her daughter more than anything in the world.

Our God is an awesome God! ~Tracy Cooper