Bornfrees Profile: Nompumelelo from Mpumaze, KZN

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Nompumelelo from Mpumaze in KwaZulu Natal:

 
Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

I am Nompumelelo Mpungose and I am currently studying at Mpumase where I was born and grew up. I live with my family and my grandmother, sisters and brothers at home.

 
What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

I am doing grade 10 at Spinoso High School and doing the following subjects: History, Geography, Life Sciences, Maths Literacy, Zulu, English and Life Orientation. My class teacher is Mr Ntuli and my school is at Mpumaze reserve in Eshowe.

 
Who is the most important person in your life and why?

My grandmother is the most important person in my life because she guides me at home and she helps me with many things.


Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

My role model is Rihanna, I admire her way of dressing.


What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

As a Bornfree I know my rights and I use them wherever necessary.


Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

Others misuse our rights like misbehaviour and not respecting their parents telling them that they have rights.


What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

I want to be a social worker when I grow up


What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

To other Bornfrees I would say let us focus on our future and not forget about our rights because we need to stand up for ourselves and prepare for our future without giving our parents a hard time.

 
Special thanks to Children of the Dawn for connecting us to Nompumelelo: www.childrenofthedawn.org.za

 

Bornfrees Profile: Murse from Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

 

Today we meet Murse from Nelspruit in Mpumalanga:

Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

I am Thapelo Eugene Mhlongo. I am known as Murse by my mates. I was born in Mpumalanga, Nelspruit in a township called Matsulu.

I live with my mom, dad and 3 older sisters.

 
What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

I am doing grade 12 at Lekazi Central High. I am doing grade 12. I'm in a history class, enjoying every minute of it. I also have life sciences, Afrikaans, English, Swazi, math lit and L.O. I was part of a government survey called Youth Cares for 2 years. I also am a member of the school debate team. I very much believe in education. It is the only way one can make it in life.


Who is the most important person in your life and why?

The important person in my life is my mom.

 
Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

As a role model I look up to Dale McKinley. He is an activist, indipendant

writer and a lecturer. What I like about him is that he speaks the truth.

 
What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

Benefits of being a bornfree does not go further than the fact of being

born into democracy. That alone is a benefit for the 676 999 people born in 1994, oh, and I, then it totals up to 677 000. Segregation, discrimination and all forms of oppression are stories to us (only they are true).


Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

Negative about being born free is the abuse of the rights that we heard

about from before when we were born, so let us say it's a positive.


What is your idea of a perfect day

I picture a perfect day as being one filled with joy, happiness and laughter.

 
What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

I dream of being one of the top advocates. And anything of association

with the law.

 
What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

My message has to be that of staying drug-free, enjoy the honour of being born in S.A.

 
I would like to share views on issues concerning "Us" with other

@bornfreesSa tweeps. My handle is @MURSE_MONTANA.

 

Special thanks to Murse for connecting with us via twitter @BornfreesSA!

Bornfrees Profile: Lucky from Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Lucky from Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga:

 
Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

My name is Lucky Mashego and I am staying in Shangaan Hill Trust in Bushbuckridge. I am staying with my mother, my elder sister and my younger brother at my grandfather's house.

 
What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

I am schooling at Magabotse High School and am doing grade 11 this year. At school I am playing soccer on Sunday and going to church.


Who is the most important person in your life and why?

The most important person in my life is my mother because she has played an important part in my life. She has got a strong heart, even if things are hard for her she keeps praying. She does not lose hope. She keeps fighting til she gets what she wants and that's why I am proud of her.  


Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

My role model is Sechaba who went from a street kid to a famous musician.

 
What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

We are getting child grant support and even food parcels from the Center even school fees and books are free at school now. I can have a white friend.

 
Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

The negative aspects is that some young girls get pregnant because of the child support grant and some other people use these rights in teh wrong way.


What is your idea of a perfect day

It will be the day I hold my Senior certificate in my hand.


What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

I want to see myself working and even driving my own dream car and also taking care of my family.


What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

Let us use this opportunity in a good way,


Special thanks to Children of the Dawn for connecting us to Lucky: www.childrenofthedawn.org.za

 

Bornfree Profile: Thabisa from Paarl, Western Cape

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Thabisa from Paarl in the Western Cape:

Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

I am Thabisa Lephaila. I was born at Paarl Hospital, I'm from a township called Mbekweni a few kilometers from Paarl and this is where I still live. At home I live with my mother and my cousin brother.

What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

I'm still in High School doing grade 12 at Ihlumelo Senior Secondary School. I do the following subjects: IsiXhosa HL, English FAL, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Computer Applications Technology and Life Orientation.

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

The most important person is my mother because she's the only working individual at home and she has been a single mother for the last 16 years. She makes sure that I'm healthy, my school things are up to date and she also loves me to bits.

Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

My role models are women and young people who don't need anyone to do things for them, they themselves work hard to get what they want. They do not need to depend on crime in order to survive. They inspire me to do what I want to do so that our country can be a better place. People such as Claire Mawisa and Tyra Banks also inspire me. The work they do and working with young girls to improve their self esteems and other stuff that most teenage girls go through.

What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

We live in a country where there is no longer Apartheid and society accept different racial groups. We also have equal rights as people in South Africa, more especially children.

Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

Yes there are, some teenagers take their parents for granted. They do things to hurt them and when they are being punished they tell them that they have rights forgetting that rights come with responsibilities.

What is your idea of a perfect day

My idea of a perfect day is getting peace and quiet so I can just get some quality time with myself. Also I wouldn't say no to getting to read a few novels because I'm a book worm! :)

What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

I want to be a medical doctor. There is a huge demand for medical doctors in our country. I want to be the first doctor to come out of my family as well as in my school.

What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

We as Bornfrees need to be role models and set perfect examples for our younger siblings and the following generations. They need to be able to look up to us and want to be like us, only for the good things we do!

Special thanks to Thabisa for connecting with us via twitter @BornfreesSA!

Bornfrees Profile: Takondwa from Pretoria, Gauteng

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Takondwa who lives in Pretoria, Gauteng:

 

Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

My name is Takondwa Karen Mwendera, an 18 year old girl born on the 23 of July 1994 in Malawi. I am currently staying at the residence of my school- Midrand Graduate Institute however I live in Pretoria in Murrayfield with my mother, father and sister.

What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

In terms of school,  I am currently doing a Pre-degree bridging course at Midrand Graduate Institute studying Journalism. I will be completely my bridging course this November and will be starting 1st year of university next year. And so far schooling at Midrand Graduate has opened my eyes to a limitless number of possibilities.

 

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

I don't think I have just one important person in my life because there so many people who have impacted my life and mean a lot to me. But I think both my parents mean the world to me. I cannot imagine life without because they have sacrificed their whole life just to get me where I am today and the successful future I plan to have tomorrow.

 

Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

Yes I do have a couple of Role Models. First and foremost my family. I am the last born in my family of four children and they have all finished their degrees and are currently working whilst the third born is doing her honours. My brother and sisters have left a remarkable pathway for me to follow in. They are very hardworking and they are living proof and walking testimonies of the wondrous things God can do for you. My parents too are people I admire because of how they worked so hard to escape from poverty and be where they are today. They have taught me how to live strong and how to be humble and about the how the fear of God is the beginning to true Wisdom. My dad has always said to me 'No one has ever died from studying'.

There is also one American Poet and motivational talker by the name of Maya Angelou. She is a strong woman and her life and all that she has been through inspires me a lot to never give up in life, no matter what life throws at you.

What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

I think being a bornfree is like being born in a world where freedom is no longer an issue but we are born with the right to live free from dangers, and suffering and free to be proud of our culture and enjoy it wit others. We have the right to make our own choices and the right to live in freedom.

Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

Well I think there are a few negative aspects of being a Bornfree to some extent. For example too much freedom can lead to a lack of discipline. And many people believe this generation of children is the worst. They are quick to judge but forgetting they are the ones who raised us. But i believe it is up to us as kids to rid of that stereotype and prove to them that something good can come out of being a bornfree.

 

What's your idea of a perfect day?

My idea of a perfect day is waking up happy knowing that God has given you this day to live and fulfilling it to the max no matter where you are and who you are with but just doing what makes you happy.

What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

My long term goals at the moment are not properly defined but I know that God has a bright plan for my future and all I know is that I want to impact on people's lives positively. Especially on children and teenagers. I would love to one day become a motivational speaker and open my own youth center. I would also love to travel to different countries because I love travelling.

What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

My message to other Born-frees is to be proud of who you are and to thank our elders of today for fighting so that we can have our rights today and have the capacity to make our choices. And we have to live to make a better future for the next generation. And to give thanx to God always.

 

Special thanks to Matshelo Youth Organisation for connecting us to Takondwa: http://www.matshelo.org/ui/forms/Home.aspx

 

Bornfrees Profile: Advice from Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were born into freedom - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Advice from Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga:

Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

My name is Advice Mashego and I was born 3 October 1994. I am a 17 year old boy living in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. I live with my paternal family, my grandmother and my cousins and my big brother and young sister. We are all staying in the same house at Bushbuckridge.

 

What are you doing currently (eg. attending school, working etc) and tell us more about that

Currently I am attending school at Bushbuckridge grade nine and when I get to matric I want to work smart and not hard, and work to the last atom of my strength. After matric I want to further my studies and I would like to enrol in the Faculty of Science.

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

My important person in my life is my grandmother, she is my personal hero and a special mother amongst them all she can sacrifice her happiness and she don;t care if she had quality education but she wants me to get it, she is my role model.

Do you have any role models and what do you admire in them?

I admire my grandmother as my role model because she has given me so much love and taken care of us ever since I was a child. At that time I did not understand why she was up and down trying to build a greater future from us but today it all makes sense. Today I am able to take care of myself because of my granny.

 

What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

The benefit of being a Bornfree is to have freedom of everything and living with rights and responsibilities, enjoying being a youth and born free from all the harshness of the world. When you are a Bornfree you have freedom of speech and let your voice be heard.

 

Are there any negative aspects of being a Bornfree

The way that today's youth take advantage of having freedom in negative ways can have a negative impact on our society. They engage in drugs, alcohol and unprotected sexual behaviour.

What's your idea of a perfect day?

My idea of a perfect day is when all the bad things that are against the law or destroying the nation come to an end and for everyone to live in peace and harmony.

What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

My greatest goal I want to achieve in life is to pass my matric and go to higher education to enrol in the field of my dream which to date is science. My dream is to be a scientist and change the world. 

 

What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

I would like to take this opportunity of advising the youth out there to think carefully about their future. It's no longer easy to tell one adult from a teen because so many teens are parents and so many teens are criminals. Let us hold hands together and show the world that we can make our world a better place and to stay our parents' hard work to make a brighter future for us.

Special thanks to Children of the Dawn for connecting us to Advice: www.childrenofthedawn.org.za

Bornfree Profile: Noxy from Mdantsane, Eastern Cape

Welcome to our awesome series of interviews with Bornfrees! We'll be highlighting the stories of Bornfrees from all around South Africa and are keen to hear from YOU if you were one of the 677 000 children born in 1994 - make contact through our email bornfrees18@gmail.com

Today we meet Nokubonga Noxy Mfupi from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape:

Tell us who you are and where you're from, and staying currently

I was born in East London in a township called Mdantsane on 23 May 1994. I grew up in Jo'burg raised by my mother and spent 11 years of my life there, completing my matric at  Rhodesfield Technical High School in but moved back to East London last year December. I love making new friends, love music,singing and dancing and cars.

What are you doing currently

I live with my mother, my little sister and my big sister's four children in East London where I was born. I am currently taking a gap year. During my gap year I have been trying to get into the entertainment industry as I have always loved it.Because my marks in Grade 12 were not good enough and so I could not go to university, I have decided to go to college. I am also considering doing Mechanical studies through the Airforce or Army.

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

The most important person in my life is my mother because even though she was just a waitress she has tried her best to provide for me and my siblings. My mother grew up in the house that we live in now in Mdantsane. My grandmother was a live-in domestic worker and had an abusive husband so my mother and her siblings lived alone in the house. My mom finished her matric at a college and then moved to Jo'burg, leaving me with my big sister and after a few years we went to Jo'burg to stay with her and she tries her best to give us a better life than the one she had.

Do you have any rolemodels and what do you admire in them?

I don't have one role model in specific because I get inspired by every person who does something positive.

What do you think is the benefit of being a Bornfree

I wouldn't say I have benefited as a Bornfree but as part of the youth because we have a lot of opportunities.

What's your idea of a perfect day?

A perfect day is a day spent with family,the love and warmth that surrounds my home.

What dream do you have for yourself, or a goal you want to achieve?

I would like to become one of the best Mechanical Engineers. Even though I grew up doing a lot of dancing, singing and drama when I got to high school I fell in love with Mechanical Technology as it was a technical school. I then realised this is what I wanted to do every day of my life and because my heart is in it I believe I will do an amazing job.

What message would you share with other Bornfrees?

My message to other Bornfrees is make the best of every opportunity because it didn't come easily.