THULISI NTABA’S STORY

This is Thulisile Ntaba, 16 years old and lives at Kabokweni, South Africa. She is in grade 8. She stays with her mom, Lucy who is battling AIDS. She has two other siblings, her brother is 9 years old and her sister who is 14 years old. Her parents separated years back and she has been living with her sick mom. Thulisile is facing so many challenges, with her mom not being able to look for a job because of the sickness ; she has to provide food for her family. The state of their house is not a good one. We have been going through a time where much rain has come and the family was having a difficult time keeping dry. On one of Ten Thousand Homes visit, they met with this family and started building a relationship with them.
Ten Thousand Homes helped by putting a roof for them since the shack they lived in had leaks. She still faces other challenges, like providing clothes for her siblings. Being young girls, they are a target of many men who will take advantage of them and give them money in return for sex. Thulisile and her siblings come to Mrs Elizabeth’s kitchen after school to eat lunch. Mrs Elizabeths kitchen has helped so many children, as Thulisile and her family are not the only ones that are faced with these challenges. This kitchen runs 3 times a week, and I believe that it is making a big difference in the childrens lives. I have been talking with Thulisile and building a relationship with her. Her dream is to finish school and be able to find a job to provide for her family. I have been encouraging and praying for her. Together we can make a difference by just loving and caring for the needy.

Story by Mangaliso Thomas Njovu