From Dust to Something
I am a woman of 43 years old , I have one child. I was born in a big family, my father had three wifes and my mother was the second wife. Each wife had her own three roomed house where she lived with her children . My mother had 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. Growing up me and my siblings we were close.
When I was 13 years my mother passed away and things started to change. My father married another wife and me and my sibings we were moved to my grand mothers house, where she lived with my two uncles .
When I was 15 my elder uncle started to rape me and he promised me if I tell anyone he will kill me and my siblings . The rape became the everyday routine when I told my grandmother but she told me to never tell anyone about it .When I turned 17, I become pregnant by my uncle. It was the most embarrassing situation ever and everyone laughed at me and I was told if I report it, I leave the house and never come back. And at that time no one wanted me so I stayed and bared it.
I was forced to leave school to take care of the child and that was the last time I went to school. When I was 25, people started leaving their children with me because I was always at home, they would pay me for taking care of their kids. More people brought their kids and the house was always full of people`s children .
That’s where I got the idea to start my own crèche. It started at home in the yard and then I register it and we operated for three years at home and then we got a stand and built a crèche. The whole community knows about my crèche and other surrounding villages.
Currently I have 6 employees and we are being funded by the Department of Social Development. I have gotten my matric by adult literacy and currently I’m doing my third year in Teaching using UNISA .I have my own house now and live with my son only.