The Road to Success As a ‘Street Kid’

Seeing the truth through the light of your own soul, you can forgive yourself and others and heal once and for all in every aspect of your life. I want to tell my life story to the Namibian nation, to inspire and to seek assistance as well.

I was born in the 90s at village called Oshali found in the northern area of Namibia (Ohangwena region). When I was a child, I lost my parents, and due to that, I was homeless for some years, sleeping in the street, eating from dustbins and having no place to call home.

I started school at the age of 11 due to these problems. It was not easy, but I pushed hard until I made it to Grade 12 even though there was some challenges in between.

There was a time I dropped out of school due to some family misunderstandings and I even attempted suicide. Life was hard for me and it’s still getting worse every day, but everything was outstanding in terms of my studies.

I was always the best and my teachers loved me for being an A-student. I completed Grade 12 at Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School in the Oshana region. I thank God for that, because this means that everything is possible in life as long as you have faith in yourself.

Life after Grade 12 was the toughest I have ever encountered – the time to apply for tertiary training. After matric, I moved to Windhoek where I am currently studying at the main campus of Unam. When I moved, I was not admitted into the hostel and there was no money for registration.

My skirmish continued. I had no place to stay but I told myself that dropping out is not an option.

Luckily, I spoke to someone and got a place to stay for free, the Central Prison. However, taxi money and food was not available. I tried to talk to my family but nothing was done. I walked from prison to campus so that I could attend my classes for the whole first semester. The good part was that I managed to pass even though I didn’t attend most of my classes.

The dangerous part was that I got robbed three times. Because I was rejected, there was no one to help me out. My life is at risk every day.

I would like to ask the nation to help me with whatever they can so I can finish my studies. Life without parents is not easy. I don’t want to go back onto the street again. I am willing to do anything job related so I can earn something to help myself, I want to continue with my studies and motivate others.

There’s a reason why I want to share my story with the Namibian nation: The main idea is to inspire young Namibians to stay in school and focus on their studies, because this important for our own lives and future.

What we make of our education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What we are learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future. Sometimes people will reject you but that should not stop you from achieving what you want to achieve.

There is no excuse for not trying in life and one thing Namibians should keep in mind is that quitting is not any option. I am sure every young Namibian has something which he or she is good at and every single one of us has something to offer or contribute to this beloved Land of the Brave.

And we have a responsibility to ourselves to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide for us and I am so thankful we have free education in Namibia. Therefore, I would like to call all brothers and sisters from all four corners of this country to get into school and focus on their studies.

To those who didn’t start yet, it’s never too late to learn, they can always learn something new.

The other thing is the ‘street kids’. I have been thinking of these poor children. I think it will be better if the government sends these children to school and motivates them to stay there, because these are the future leaders of tomorrow. Sometimes this is the reason why we have high teenage pregnancies, abortions, criminals, high unemployment and many more, because I keep on wondering what those children will do with their lives in the years to come.

We need every single one of those children to develop their talents, skills and intellect so we can help solve our most difficult problems. If we don’t do that – if we quit on school – we’re not just quitting on ourselves, we’re quitting on our country.

I am ready to take a risk so I can motivate this nation. I know how hard and challenging life can be, because I went through a lot and I am who I am today, because of people and I am still pushing to reach my destination.

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