Ndumiso rises against the odds

Ndumiso Mantimakhulu, 17, is a Grade 8 student at Shewula High School and has shown a sea of courage despite having lost his mother in 2003 and the father three years later. Ndumiso looks after his two brothers Fanelo, eight, and Muzi, 11, since both parents passed away.

Ndumiso is at home, alone when we visit the dusty community of Shewula. His two brothers are at liberty to experience the joys of childhood whilst he takes care of the main business in the home. 

At the outset of the last farming season, Ndumiso received farm inputs from World Vision, including five kg of maize seed and 50 kg of fertilizer, to mention but a few. This is part of the on-going support the programme provides to vulnerable households in the community.

Seeds from World Vision

“Through the assistance of a neighbour, we managed to plant all the seeds received from World Vision. Given that we also had good rains this year, we had a reasonable harvest,” explains Ndumiso.

“As we speak,” he adds, “We have seven bags of maize that is likely to see us through to November or December – even.” This has come with a responsibility to manage the harvest and protect it from pests, which are quite common in this community.

Ndumiso is grateful that the government of Swaziland is contributing significantly to the funding of his and his brothers’ education. The government of Swaziland is providing education support to children who have lost one or both parents. This household is part of those who benefit from this initiative.

The support from government, in the form of school fees, has not made Ndumiso relax. He works hard to ensure that there is food for the family and other necessities.

Hard working boy

“During school holidays I do a lot of work for some of my relatives and neighbours. In turn, they give me money which I use to buy food for my brothers and also cater for shortage in the school fees because the money paid by the government scholarship is not enough,” he explains. 

In limited instances, the extra income has helped Ndumiso and his family access basic medical care.

Ndumiso’s life is not one without challenges. “I walk for at least 45 minutes to school every day. I used to have a bicycle; unfortunately it broke down some time ago. Today, I am not in a position to repair it since I don’t have the money to buy the missing parts,” explains Ndumiso.

Ndumiso and his brothers take turns to collect water, which is 10 minutes away. However, due to the perennial nature of the water source, there are times when the water is not readily available. “With the bicycle, I was able to take a 20-litre container to collect water, but that is not possible anymore,” he adds. “The alternative water source is two hours away. I dread the times when there is no water at the closest source,” he adds.

Through all the challenges Ndumiso has gone through, he can still afford a gracious smile. To him, a smile is indeed the one curve that sets everything straight as he continues to look after himself and his two brothers. Now that school has closed, he is looking forward to the next piece-job that would enable him to buy food and care for his brothers.