Every weekday morning in Caluza, Nokwanda Zondi prepares three school bags — two for her children, and one for herself. At 28, the single mother of two has returned to high school to complete her matric, a decision she describes as both frightening and freeing after nearly a decade away from the classroom. Zondi says she had reached Grade 11 when her life took an unexpected turn.
Pregnant with her first child, she was suspended from school. When the opportunity to return for Grade 12 arose, embarrassment held her back. “I had a cousin who was in matric that year,” she said.
“The thought of sharing a desk with her was too much. I felt ashamed.” Instead, Zondi turned to survival. She began plaiting hair from home and eventually built a small salon business, working long hours to support her family.
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For nearly 10 years, that work paid the bills, but it did not fulfil her dreams. “I worked very hard, but deep down I knew this was not the life I wanted,” she said. “I wanted more options.
I wanted more for my children.” Her turning point came unexpectedly while scrolling through Facebook. A post celebrating a 30-year-old who had achieved strong matric results reignited something she thought she had buried. “That story pushed me. I realised it wasn’t too late.”
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